Mail Ponies 2: Postal Ponies
by Darkon Shadows
Summary: Someone is taking down mail delivery ponies and one Dolly Verance is tasked with solving the problem. MLP:FIM.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I'm Darkon Shadows, my middle name Arters. Don't own such and such, really why would anyone want to sue me I don't do anything recognizable or noticeable enough to be called out on it. I'm a horrible fan fiction writer so forgive me for living; also I don't know the meaning of the word 'Quintessential'. I write without too much effect but sometimes; maybe, I can hit a gold mine of ideas… this probably isn't it.

Summary: Someone is taking down mail delivery ponies and one Dolly Verance is tasked with solving the problem.

Story- Mail Ponies 2: Postal Ponies.

Chapter 1: DERP.

She shook her head as she read through the only piece of mail to make it through the long distance delivery system in a month. It was picked off a mail pony that looked to have flown through a war zone and was currently in the Ponyville medical facility recovering. The poor winged colt was found crawling into town with one of his wings bent completely in the wrong direction, a sprained hoof, a broken hind leg, covered in deep cuts, horrendous bruises and not to mention bleeding everywhere.

"Dolly Verance,

It is my hope that you receive this letter. Recently all long distance carriers have been intercepted by an unknown force. The injuries to some of the best long distance mail delivery ponies alive are beginning to wear on the mailing systems and it is becoming noticeably worse. Even with the support of Wonderbolt teams, something is maliciously targeting mail ponies specifically. I would like for you to bring Celestia and Luna's attention to the matter at hand and then seek out the cause of the disturbance. Don't try to take this on all by yourself 'Doll-face'.

Your friend, 'Ego-Ten'"

Looking at the last part of the message Dolly didn't know any 'Ego Ten' but she did know the code word 'E-Ten' when she saw it. The tenth letter of the letter after her name was the letter 'E' in the word 'Hope'.

It made a special acronym from the words 'Eaten' and 'Hope' and...

"Emergency Action Team Essentially Needed. Havoc Only Potential Expectation."

Their little code system was unnecessarily complex for the mailing business, especially when you consider the name 'Ego Ten' itself. But then again mail delivery for this dispatcher was serious business.

"Equine Granted Override, Take Everything Necessary."

A pair of stone grey eyes narrowed, she was going to need some help. But her mail team was mostly busy except for Derpy. She was going to have to put together a team from scratch and whatever she remembered Dipsy telling her about certain individuals. Plus she was given free-reign what with the override to bring in whoever she wanted on this one. No one intercepts the mail on 'Danger Sense' Dolly's watch.

Dolly Verance was a winged pony with a short white mane and black haired tail; it caused ponies to ask which one had she dyed white or black. The answer to that was neither, but that wasn't important. Her red coat shined along with her large feathery wings and at her flank was a coat of arms depicting four different weather patterns. Her 'cutie mark' as some would call it, represented her storm watching nature and her ability to route any danger heading in her direction.

She; Dolly, was simply a mail pony dispatcher, a weather pony and in some respects a downright scary pony with how far ahead she could plan some things. She also had a few skeletons in her closet that some ponies should never have to find out about. Some of which led her to headaches and consuming more aspirin then any pony rightfully should, but considering all the stuff she deals with she truly needed every single bit of it.

Team forty or better known as Team Four D's Deliveries are the friendliest mail ponies in Ponyville. The team was mostly known for every pony's favorite magnificent muffin munching mail mare Derpy Hooves. She was really popular with everyone and was usually seen following the exploits of six other special ponies that were always doing something or other that was incredibly interesting.

Recently she had dispatched them on a long distance mission with 'The Package' and that went surprisingly well what with Derpy making friends with Princess Luna. They were chosen to carry that package out of necessity that not many other ponies could be trusted as well as they could be to do their jobs to the best of their abilities even if they couldn't beat a squad of Wonderbolts. Wonderbolts were trained aerial acrobats and Special Forces ponies that kept the skies of Equestria clean of dangers, with the exception that Ponyville didn't have any local Wonderbolts to handle those kinds of problems.

Speaking of Special Forces, Dolly carefully considered who she would get other then Derpy to join her on a rather hazardous mission. Judging by the way that long distance mail carrier came in this wouldn't be a very good situation they were trotting into.

The other three members of team forty that wouldn't be able to come were on several different rather stressful assignments that some ponies were paying for their services through the postal office. Every mare of the mail delivery team forty with the exception of substitute dispatcher Pinkie and Dolly herself looked incredibly similar with their lime blonde manes and bluish grey coats.

Dipsy Duh was on a train to Constanticoltle, the place recently changed its name from Itsabull which was less of a mouthful to say. She was currently on a long winded winding mission of vague importance that left Dolly vaguely wondering if Dipsy was sleeping like she normally was. The pony that paid the postal office personally required her services for some reason or another and she couldn't even begin to guess why someone would want the world's laziest delivery pony.

()

Meanwhile on that train to Constanticoltle, Dipsy wasn't sleeping nor was she given any time to relax as a huge monstrous pony landed on top of her growling in her face. She had been knocked onto her back just seconds ago by the scary beast narrowly avoiding injury. The sharp fangs had drool dripping off them from the mouth where it's bad breath flowed out as the hoof which had claws growing out of it came down at her. Dipsy quickly rolled under the Werepony avoiding the claws and galloped as fast as she could out of the train car. The transformed beast of a male pony was hot on her flank about to either rend her to shreds or turn her into what it was.

"Why in the world do I keep meeting ponies who ask me to deal with this crazy stuff? I'm not Puffy the Vampony slayer for crying out loud!"

()

Ditzy Doo was currently in Canterlot as part of a special construction project to see if they can reinforce structures to withstand incredible impacts. They paid the post office in advance for the hours she would normally spend working carrying heavy and dangerous stuff around Ponyville. If the project succeeds the mayor might finally be able to have a house that stands longer then two or three days at a time and it'll usher in a new era of pony architecture. Personally Dolly was proud of Ditzy, as for once she was doing something productively destructive.

()

Meanwhile in Canterlot Ditzy Doo was having the time of her life, it was like she got to be a little foal playing with blocks again. Only this time she was destroying fabricated structures for the betterment of surviving nature on the off chance that all the weather ponies in a general area were sick or otherwise momentarily indisposed during some really bad weather. A cheerful innocent smile crossed her face as they set up another mostly hollow building structure. With her eyes crossed Ditzy flew straight at it with the force of a buffalo many times her size.

"WHEEEEEEE" What followed shortly after was a crashing sound and screams from several ponies on the project that they should have gone to a safer distance "its okay, my body broke the buildings fall."

What followed was a bunch of disbelieving stares that the pony was still able to continue on the project after they already had her drop three hollow two floor house like structures on herself. They promised Ditzy her a real home in Ponyville if they could succeed to keep one standing and considering how many structures she's destroyed it would be the most sturdiest house in all of pony kind. It would have to be to survive that Pegasus and normally a winged pony shouldn't be this strong, she probably had really thick earth pony genetics… mostly centered on her head.

()

Then there was Dixie Day. She was still in Ponyville, but she had what Dolly considered the hardest job out of the three missing mailing mares. She had to babysit half of Ponyville's foals and fillies on her own.

The previous caretaker in charge of the local daycare kind of organization sorely needed that vacation and Dixie was the best replacement for that kind of work anyone could get, especially when you involve the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was cringe worthy whenever those three were mentioned and Dixie could not and should not be removed from doing something so important. Even if Dolly wanted to spare the poor pony her sanity from having to deal with so much trouble.

()

Meanwhile in what passes for Ponyville's Daycare building, Dixie wasn't having a bad time at all as she rocked a tiny foal to sleep and cooed too it quietly before placing it down. She watched as the three so called 'Chaos Marked Crusaders' tired themselves out and were laying on top of each other in a neat pile, they looked so innocent too. Fluttering over the three the grey coated pony smiled, she carefully put them into the napping zone with pillows and blankets making sure they were next to each other.

"Maybe someday…" Dixie said to herself wistfully, she loved caring for foals and little fillies. Even if it was the most difficult job in the world, this experience would stay in her heart forever as she watched the three Cutie Mark heat seekers snuggle up next to each other. She was especially fond of that one particular dinky unicorn in the corner, for some reason she couldn't find any information on her parents in the caretaker's files.

There was no such thing as an orphanage in the pony world, unfortunately foals or young fillies without parents are usually passed around and taken care of by everypony that were willing to for as long as they feasibly could. There is never any pony left behind and frankly Dixie would later become sad when it was time to stop caring for all the little ones, but she wasn't leaving with empty hooves.

Dixie was a pony that cared about every single little pony in the herd and there was only one here that didn't have any full-time parental figures.

()

Dolly shrugged to herself, if she couldn't specifically have mail ponies to work with then a little outsourcing wouldn't hurt.

First she needs someone with book smarts. Dipsy has talked about that nice librarian Twilight Sparkle being as such. It wouldn't be too hard convincing her to come as she wasn't a very busy pony and could use a little excitement, plus Celestia would order her to come anyway considering Dolly's history with the princess.

Twilight could negotiate if whatever was harming the mailing ponies was willing to talk, if not…

Second she needed someone with street smarts, that could lie like no tomorrow, had decent reflexes and at the very least a pony that needs a new job. The fallen "Great and Powerful" Trixie would do just that, she has been sulking around Ponyville since her stage and home was wrecked by that Ursa Minor which Twilight defeated.

Getting her in on this would involve making Trixie a better pony. However they would need to solve her bragging problem first and maybe get her attention with the promise of a place to live. As a side offer she could ask Derpy to be Trixie's friend, Dolly was pretty sure Derpy liked her for hogtying Applejack up that one time. Sure Derpy recently forgave Applejack, but she certainly hasn't forgotten the muffin incident.

There would be some infighting but she needed someone who can be very distracting and a magician was always good at misdirection. That is if Trixie still had what it takes to be a real magician in the first place. Trixie would make a good look out if she wasn't full of herself for more than a second and considering how far she's traveled she would know how to handle small dangers with relative ease.

Third she needed someone who was one with nature and could easily handle unfamiliar surroundings without much trouble. Zecora of course was a natural choice, but it would take some convincing to get the Everfree Forest hermit out and involved. Dipsy tended to visit her for medicine when she needed something specially made, Zecora had a rhyming problem and that was the only thing about the zebra that could be a little problematic. As rhyming all the time would get annoying and might grate on Trixie and especially her own nerves, which were usually blown from having to deal with Ditzy on a regular basis.

Fluttershy, Applejack and many other ponies were discounted as helpful for various reasons, mostly because they were needed elsewhere or they wouldn't be able to handle a broad range of situations that Dolly would need of them. Zecora was primarily going to be her field medic if things went horribly.

She already had Derpy and that pony was bringing something to the table none of the others could, just plain old common sense and random genius level intellect when it suited her. Her recent delivery of that rather particular package proved her to be a leader potentially and Dolly might give her job to Derpy for a day or two on the principle that she needed a break. Derpy; though Dolly was sure she would hate herself later for it, might be the bait they needed to lure whatever was attacking the mail ponies out into the open.

There was a common theme among all these ponies and a zebra; they were good at working alone, plus they had an equally high survivability rate together as they did alone. They would need that if any of them were separated from each other for any reason; they were all reasonably intelligent enough to get themselves out of sticky situations. Plus Derpy has been camping with Ditzy before; she had to learn how to survive on the principle of who she was camping with.

The final member of the assembly would be Dolly herself, she was gathering some of the finest minds together to solve this problem and if they could solve it without violence. Let it not be her who cast the first stone the size of a boulder if things went Ditzy Doo's kind of South. She would make sure nothing fell apart and that they would stop the mail pony mangling at the source.

She was going to let everyone give suggestions for what to do during the mission if they all agreed to do whatever was suggested a good plan of action would follow, she was already reconsidering using herself as bait before letting Derpy do anything dangerous such as live bait work.

This of course meant that she would have to accept every ponies advice on any situation including Derpy's input without overlooking any idea, all the while choosing the best ones from her think tank. Having four different approaches to any situation left one with plenty of escape routes.

Now she just had to gather them all together, taking out a pen she pulled out three sheets of paper and envelopes. When Derpy got back from her rounds she would have to make three special deliveries today.

After she was assured that at least some of them were going to help, she would have to stop by Sugar Cube Corner for a special order. She knew Pinkie hated those special orders, but if they really needed a "party" then it was well worth the sad look on Pinkie's face when she handed over the order for her special "party favors".

()

"Dear Ms. Sparkle I require you're..." Twilight sparkle started reading as Derpy flew off whistling to herself and getting muffin crumbs all over her face, it distracted Twilight a bit. She shook her head and continued to read.

After a moment she pulled out a second letter addressed to Celestia and Luna, she quickly called for Spike. She might not know Dolly, but apparently she knew her and was asking for her services personally in a serious matter. She had Spike send a message to the princesses asking if she knew anything about this pony named Dolly, she also had Spike send the second letter to them from Dolly.

The response made Twilight feel like there was something that princess Celestia wasn't telling her and Luna was clueless as she had been sealed away a thousand years. But they both agreed that Twilight should assist Dolly in her endeavors and that she'd learn a thing or two about how to actually apply the knowledge she had stuffed into her head. The most unsettling thing was the words that almost came out in Celestia's voice in Twilights mind.

"Be careful my faithful prized student. You can put your trust in Dolly; she will protect you with her life and I fear it might actually come to that if she has her way."

()

"Assistance with a great disturbance and promise that…" The ragged looking magician stopped reading and took a bite of the muffin she received from the smiling mail delivery mail with the bubbles on her flank and the weird eyes. Who in the world knew that she the downtrodden and pathetic Trixie was still around Ponyville and why did they have a box of rather delicious homemade muffins delivered to her with an offer for work.

Reading it she saw the name Dolly, she wondered who that was and why they seemed so adamant that they meet, well she didn't have much better to do and there was an address. Not to mention the offer of more free food if she came to the address, she really missed home cooked meals instead of randomly grazing around barely living. Looking a gift pony in the mouth was something she couldn't afford to do anyway.

The magician pony with a blue coat and her mane and tail was a light; almost white, blue carefully used what little magic she had in her to plop her purple star covered hat unceremoniously on her head and she stood up, someone was personally asking for her? Why not indulge them with her wonderful presence, her purple eyes shined with exuberance of returned energy and a need for more of these fantastic well made muffins. Sniffing herself she might also ask someone for a shower if they could be so kind, she could barely see the wand shaped cutie mark spreading its magical crescent shape along her rear.

()

"A trouble is brewing, while I sit here stewing?" Zecora had finished reading the letter and wondered how this Dolly knew of her she really didn't have many friends in Ponyville even after they stopped being so shy around her. Twilight was the one that usually dealt with large troubles in Ponyville or so she stated at one of their quaint little tea parties, it was just unfortunate that last time poor Twilight was turned to stone temporarily by a cockatrice.

If she had known that had happened she would have given her the antidote for being petrified, Zecora always kept a spare bottle of the stuff on hand along with wearing her magical golden bracelet that coiled around her front right leg that prevented the same from happening to her.

Her green eyes wandered what to take with her to this meeting of the minds; she looked to the sun like mark on her black and white striped rear that was like a cutie mark. All she would need is her cloak doused in a varying amount of substances that kept wild animals from attacking her and she figured that would be all she needed aside from the bracelet. She would set out to get to the meeting at the appointed time and she would only have as few items as she needed on her person, she traveled light as she has never had a problem with surviving off the wild surroundings of the Everfree Forest before.

()

Derpy returned to Dolly and threw her a salute with a smile and a wall eyed expression. She was proud of her accomplishment for last minute mail deliveries with haste and a slightly burnt smell.

"Good job Derpy, your done delivering mail today… but I'm not finished with you, so if you'll please follow me home I've got something to ask you when my guests arrive." Dolly got a nod from Derpy before she closed up her office for the day and got the lime blonde pony to follow her to her home which was rather plain in its appearance. Entering into the house Derpy looked around never having seen Dolly's house before and it was a rather sparse environment.

There was a sitting room at the entrance with several couches; next to that room were the kitchen and a table with everything needed for making simple meals. The stairs lead up to a bedroom, large bathroom and a guest room, hardly any decorations except for the picture of a family with a earth pony stallion who had a red coat, short yellow mane and green tail. Next to the Stallion was a mare with incredibly long white mane and tail, with a beautiful black coat and oddly enough dark purple wings.

"Okay what's the mission Dolly?" Derpy had guessed the reason she was asked to Dolly's house. Dolly sat down and motioned for Derpy to do the same as they finished the tour of her home, it seems like the only thing she splurged on was her bathroom which was really the most impressive thing in the house.

"Not yet Derpy, I'm expecting guests that are going to join us on this mission. Need anything while we wait." Dolly watched as Derpy tilted her head questioningly in confusion.

"No I don't need anything, but what do you mean by 'US' exactly?" Derpy wasn't sure why, but she felt as if something serious had been going on and it might explain why she hasn't had to deliver too much mail recently. She understood what the word 'mission' meant all too well; she's been on a few with the most recent being about 'The Package' and that was the most exciting as it got. When Dolly had a mission it meant that it was important to mailing services and usually entirely voluntary, but this time it sounded far more serious then Derpy was used to if Dolly herself was going on the mission as well.

"Just as it sounds, but I'll explain more when everyone gets here and we're all set for my explanation of the situation, even I'm not entirely informed what's happening but I have my suspicions." Dolly became laid out on the couch with her front hooves behind her head as she sighed, she really hated waiting sometimes and she really wanted the mail routes restored to working order.

Derpy had always thought that Dolly was a classy mare but to see her like this in her home. It was rather humbling for the best mail mare in Ponyville to see Dolly being so relaxed; it was kind of unnerving in a way.

Dolly knew Derpy was staring, she knew the wall eyed smiling mail delivering pony was staring without having to look in her general direction. Derpy was going to eventually learn some things about her and maybe Pinkie too before this was all over, she just hoped Derpy could handle some of the darker side of things as well as Pinkie could. Pinkie was a barrel of laughs, sometimes the poor mare would cry on the inside even if she seemed eternally joyful by outer appearance which made her kind of like Derpy in a way always trying to keep the world happy while bearing its weight on their backs. Dolly knew how that felt and here she was at it again and it has been how long?

Eventually a knock came at the door Dolly proceeded to roll off the couch and quickly trot over to the door, opening it she was met with a haggard looking magician. The so called 'Great and Powerful' Trixie definitely needed the love of a shower or bathtub right now.

"Hello, you must be Trixie do me a favor and shed the cape and hat and follow me upstairs to the bathroom you could use a good wash and afterwards we can see about cleaning your favorite articles of clothing. After the others arrive we'll talk." Dolly was honestly trying to help Trixie but the way she was about to react and how her jaw muscles started to work Dolly knew what the magician was going to say.

It was something along the lines of how dare you ask me the blah and blah Trixie to remove her articles of power or some such nonsense like that. Dolly wouldn't stand for that and she had a working method already for dealing with Trixie's attitude, it was simple as it was barbaric. Trixie received a harsh slap across the face followed by a soothing if confusing hug and all while she was still in shock from the slap. Dolly slowly removed her hat and cape setting them off to the side. Trixie just sat there wide eyed.

Derpy watched in both horror and intrigue as Dolly had never raised a hoof to any pony like that and Ditzy caused her headaches like nothing else, why was Trixie so different other then the holier than thou…

Oh, well, Dolly's actions kind of make an eerie sort of sense now. Derpy thought about the two things she did in quick succession to confuse Trixie, one was the slap and two was the hug to apologize for the slap. Dolly wrapped her right wing around Trixie's mid-section and led her still shocked visage up the stairs and into the bathroom her body seemed to be on auto-pilot from Dolly's gentle nudging and a stare from her currently gentle grey eyes.

Derpy contemplated a few things about Dolly, she didn't know much about her boss and equally Dolly didn't know much about her. There was the thought that Dolly always knew what she was doing even if it wasn't immediately apparent and Derpy actually accepted that she just treated a pony in front of her harshly. That slap wasn't without reason as Derpy had seen Trixie's showboating. Trixie was a performer always trying to impress; unfortunately she lost sight of her own limits what with the boasting and trying to be better then everything. She was a bit of a jerk but Derpy has befriended Gilda. So Derpy figured she will not have as much trouble in befriending Trixie or so she hoped as she liked making new friends.

Laying back and looking at the ceiling Derpy's wings flared out underneath her trying to get into a comfortable position as she listened to the water running upstairs. She knew Dolly wouldn't be mean to her anymore unless she rightfully deserved it. A knock on the door came and Derpy sat up looking to it.

"DERPY ANSWER THE DOOR I'M BUSY UP HERE!" As Dolly said this she turned back to Trixie who was sitting in a tub full of hot water her body wasn't very relaxed but she looked to be content as Dolly scrubbed her back. Taking the shampoo bottle into her mouth she squirted a bit of goo from her special shampoo bottle, it was a fast acting hair rejuvenating magical shampoo made by unicorns and Dolly rarely used the stuff but she always kept a bottle on hand in case she needed to clean up for a night out.

Dolly thought about how she really needed to start dating again, it didn't matter the gender she wasn't into physical affection and only cared for the emotional aspects and the sharing of intellectual ideals. She carefully worked the magical mix throughout a quiet Trixie's coat and mane before dumping a bucket of water over her head causing her eyes to shut forcefully for a moment. Many would think this would be awkward, but Dolly was just getting her clean enough to be presentable as how Trixie used to consider herself.

Trixie was in a world of nothingness her mind a blank, what had happened to her? She couldn't even begin to remember where she was as she was floating in an empty space, until she heard something crunching or sliding together. Slowly she tried to blink away the haze, but nothing was forthcoming.

Dolly had finished brushing and trimming Trixie's mane alongside her tail and it wouldn't be long until she came to her senses so Dolly would go put her clothes in the wash and wait for her to realize that she was acting like a little foal right now being led around and treated with care. Trixie's mane was a little longer then it started out at due to the magical growth properties of the shampoo, but Dolly didn't think she would notice given the state she was currently in.

Making her way down the stairs Dolly saw that both her other guests were already making themselves at home with her tea. Twilight and Zecora were already enjoying themselves with Derpy's anecdote about how Dipsy handled that annoyance creature that terrorized Ponyville while Twilight and her friends were too busy with other stuff to notice it. Dolly knew Dipsy was a narcoleptic or at least she seemed that way as she got into the strangest situations while she was awake, speaking of which it was getting rather late in the evening. As if Dolly could forget Dipsy and the bizarre flying spaghetti monster incident, as an afterthought they would have to set out tomorrow morning.

Tonight they would learn of the troubles of the mail not being delivered to the rightful recipients and what they could do to fix that, if they agree to help.

"Hello and welcome to my home, sorry to call for all of your attention on short notice but I've got some laundry to do and I have to get the last pony down here, now if you'll excuse I'll be back in a minute to explain my call for aid." With that she set about picking up Trixie's stuff and making sure to use her wings to keep it on top of her back, she made sure that Twilight saw the clothing making her gasp a little as Dolly exited the room. Hopefully Twilight holds no ill will towards Trixie or this could get ugly.

"Trixie's here?" Twilight had wondered what became of the magician and Derpy knowing the answer didn't think to hard about what she was about to say to twilight. "Yes, she was living in the Everfree Forest until Dolly had me take a letter to her she was really hard to find what with all the monsters and things I came across. She really likes muffins too, she's my newest friend."

Twilight ears titled back at seeing the cheerful smile on the mail mares face, as if all the monsters she probably ran into didn't try to hurt her or even scare her a little. But then again Trixie had been living in the Everfree Forest, how did Derpy even deliver that letter to her if she didn't have a home? Okay that was a bit of heel realization on Twilights part, when she realized that Trixie didn't have a home after the Ursa Minor incident. However this spoke highly of Derpy as a delivery mare when Zecora offered some her input.

"Facing all the dangerous monsters in there, must have put into you quite a scare." Sipping her tea Zecora saw Derpy shake her head no. "I deliver the mail no exceptions for Balrogs, Blast Beaks, Burning Bullfrogs or even the occasional poisonous Blow Puff Bat."

"You've seen a Blast Beak you say, many a pony has lost a mane that way. The other things you mentioned, have you seen them in this dimension?" Zecora was truly enthralled by the thought of Derpy's heroism as Trixie wandered down the stairs blindly barely watching where she was going as she sat down on an empty couch blankly paying attention to anyone in the room. Twilight noticed however that her coat was glossy and her mane was a bit longer then it had been. Trixie didn't look like she had been out in the Everfree Forest and was that a towel wrapped around her waist? She must have just gotten out of a bath.

Trixie laid her chin on the couch she was trying to focus on her surrounding but she just couldn't for some odd reason though she just felt safe and secure in the knowledge that someone actually made her feel all warm in fuzzy not too long ago. Even if said person slapped her hard across the face, she felt wanted now and that was something she hasn't felt in a long time, that Dolly pony really knew how to make her feel just right to the point that she hadn't noticed that purple pony in the room was Twilight.

Yep; now that Trixie looked at her, she didn't care Twilight was currently under the same roof she was.

Too bad Trixie was still too out of her senses to scream revenge or even get angry with the purple pony, not that she had a reason to be angry in the first place. She listened to the familiar grey pony's tale of intrigue where somehow she managed to get a Balrog and a Blast Beak into a fight with each other.

Apparently that somehow involved shoving a flaming frog into the mouth of an inflatable bat and using the noxious gas it normally spews as a form of makeshift biological flamethrower, then she managed to trap all four of the dangerous animals in a pit before meeting up with her 'the happy and content' Trixie.

Close to forty minutes of entertaining the guest in Dolly's house Dolly came back with Trixie's now restored clothing.

"Here you go Trixie put these on, also I hope you're in your right mind at this moment considering I slapped the sense out of you." Trixie magically put on the hat and cape; her face was unreadable, then she slowly put both her hooves around Dolly's neck and started crying into her velvety red coat. Her cape and hat felt so warm and inviting fresh from a steam dryer.

Dolly didn't move to comfort Trixie as that would be a rather stupid thing to do at this juncture; instead she let Trixie cry as she addressed every other pony in the room without worrying about her, she was a strong unicorn, she'd bounce back to her semi-normal ways in no time. Semi-normal as in Dolly wasn't going to let her get a big head or become full of herself again anytime soon.

"Now that I have finished fixing or in some cases breaking a homeless magician, I have brought you all here for an urgent reason of importance. Something is stalking and knocking down the best mail delivery ponies in the world, how would any of you feel if you couldn't receive a package?" Before anyone could ask a question Dolly held up a hoof without disturbing the crying Trixie. "Rhetorical question as everyone would feel the same if the anticipated package didn't arrive on time. In this sitting room are some of the greatest minds in Ponyville."

Trixie stopped crying and looked at Dolly's cold grey eyes. Wondering what Dolly meant as she was forcibly motioned to take a seat with the rest of the ponies in the room, she sat next to Derpy feeling safe with the pony who knew where to get those delicious muffins. As of right now her mind was numb, she was fearful of Dolly and equally curious about how exactly the pony managed to knock the haughtiness right out of her. To be frank Trixie never had any pony that would treat her quite like that except for... well she had felt like Dolly had instantly become her friend. Trixie had been cowed by her actions so fast it made her head spin a bit just remembering how fast Dolly's hoof struck out.

"Before I continue would anyone want a snack other then you Derpy, I swear if you keep stuffing those muffins you won't be able to fly anymore." As Dolly finished expressing her concerns that her guest namely one in particular might be hungry, Trixie shyly raised her hoof but didn't say anything.

Dolly thought "At least Trixie was progressing to kindergarten levels of response." quite humorously though she would never express that outwardly. Twilight raised a hoof as she sipped some tea and Zecora too put a hoof in the air. As Dolly made her way into the kitchen she continued to talk to the ponies and zebra in her sitting room.

"Lately there has been a rise of mail pony mauling that; even with the Wonder Dolts assisting them, are still happening. I've been assigned the ability to cobble together a small task force to find the problem and make sure it's not much of a problem anymore, so far I have a hunch as to what it could be but I'm not entirely sure until I see what happens for myself. The name of the temporarily formed task force if you choose to join it is called DERP which stands for Determined, Exceptional and Reliable Ponies. No offense to you of course Zecora." As she finished her spiel she came into the sitting room with a large tray she sat down with what appears to be leftovers from whatever meals she had made, Trixie was the first to get a bite and express her surprise at the taste with a hum, but still no vocalized thoughts. Dixie Day really should teach cooking to more ponies, especially if Dolly could get that kind of reaction from what she learned from "Do-it-all" Dixie.

"None at all I would be taking, as you prove this food was worth the making." Who in the world taught this Dolly person how to cook, because you certainly couldn't learn this kind of stuff from a book.

Zecora liked the crunch of the particular dish she dove into.

"Now as I have no exact clue what this threat to our mailing systems is, it is possibly lethal and or volatile to all of pony kind, fortunately so far this only seems to be suspiciously enough affecting mail ponies. Now if you'll look to this screen." Reaching up with a hoof, Dolly pulled down a projector screen. The room darkened and a light from a projector came from out of nowhere to hit the projector screen putting an image on it.

"If you should volunteer for DERP I will tell you what comes won't be easy, but it'll be rewarding for multiples reasons. Depending on how you; the volunteers, act is whether or not DERP can continue helping ponies after this sordid affair is all said and done or if we'll just part ways forgetting this ever happens. One you'll be a hero for even just finding out what is causing all these sickening messes of our Pegasus friends like this one here." What came up on the screen was a logo with a muffin in front of it with the letters DERP on the wrapper, followed by a picture of what the colt currently in the hospital looked like before he was bandaged back together. Dolly really had to thank Artsy Tartsy for all this stuff the guy does for her and he paints things exactly as they appear, he never needs to buy a camera as long as he has a pencil. Twilights face looked horrified, Derpy had a calculating look in her wall eyed expression, Zecora looked a little ill and Trixie just stared blankly at the image.

"Tomorrow Spaniel C. Arro should be well enough to actually get a few words out of him about the situation at hand; I'll also be picking up some supplies from a specialist in what I need. If I have to go alone I will, if I don't come back someone else will have to follow in my steps and I don't like that idea one bit. Before I go on with the benefits of joining aside from obviously helping ponies, are you alright Zecora?" The image now on screen was showing Sugar Cane Junction, a building was prominent in the picture but no one could tell it was the one Dolly was talking about.

"That is something that leaves me feeling green, but it most certainly cannot be unseen." Zecora ate a bit of food and took a slow sip of fresh soothing liquid to calm her nerves. Never had she seen a winged one so mangled, for the poor colt looked as if he was rather badly tangled.

"Very well, other than being a hero you will acquire knowledge of how to camp if you don't already have that knowledge from those you'll be traveling with. We all have our talents, dreams and abilities that we can share as well as learn about and from each other. We'll learn to trust to the point that we're willing to trust each other even if we have a knife to our backs courtesy of the one we trust the most. Now for a more personal touch to it Twilight books or information can't be moved around, any scientific study team out there wouldn't be able to mail you anything from the Geeky Pony Monthly catalogues, not to mention you'll see new strange and wondrous things while risking life and hoof. Derpy someday you'll be head mail mare at the post office if you want the job, I really want you in on this but you don't have to be if you're too scared and you probably won't be eating a lot of muffins if we do this but I know I can pack plenty of coffee mix for you. You can keep whatever is left of it when we're through." Dolly saw a glint in Derpy's eyes, she wasn't backing out of this and she was most certainly not afraid. Well if facing down a Balrog and a Blast Beak with a burning frog loaded bat full of hot poisonous air isn't brave she didn't know what was. Though the imagery was still ridiculous Dolly didn't think Derpy exaggerated even for a second.

The pictures that showed up on the projector were as follows: A campsite with a smiling cross eyed grey mare with symbol of a large bubble wrapping around several smaller bubbles, A bed with a sleeping Dipsy in it, oddly of Derpy getting struck in the back by a green mane and tailed Wonder Bolt, followed by a library filled to the brims with books surrounded by creepy looking shadows and finally a comic of Derpy hoarding a bag of muffin flavored coffee.

"Zecora all those plant seeds you keep asking for have to be delivered this way, plus it'll give you the ability to find and pick up some rare plants while we're traveling if you don't have anything more important to do at your hut that is ma'am. Trixie you stand to gain more from this than anyone else and I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, I'm not taking any of your guff if you decide to join me on this excursion. I'll be giving you food and a home, maybe restore your own little caravan if you wish. I'm already offering you protection, but you are going to need to earn my friendship, affection and most of all my trust. If you join I'll tell you what I need of you and you are going to listen to my advice on whatever happens; it is your choice whether you listen to me or not since I'm not always going to be right." Dolly had just admitted that she wasn't perfect, but she also made it clear that she knew Trixie very well. Trixie perked up at being mentioned and she kept watching the screen her eyes never left it, she couldn't look directly at those cold grey eyes right now.

On the screen it showed a sickeningly cute baby Zecora romping around in some herb garden and it was followed by Zecora holding some form of rare shining plant above her head in a pot filled with dirt with a smile.

The next picture that showed up was of Trixie as a foal huddling in a shadow with tears streaming from her eyes and her tiny floppy magician hat on her head. Looking at the picture Trixie couldn't feel insulted in the slightest and actually felt like she was looking a mirror of what Dolly thought of her.

The last picture was of Dolly herself in a full body cast except for her head and she was smirking, that really spooked all the other ponies and zebra when they looked at the stoic Dolly.

"I guess Artsy Tartsy had a good sense of humor today, he's a fast worker and takes commissions for next to nothing. Now who wants to join or do you have a ceaseless amount of questions? You each get to ask one and I'll answer truthfully as I see it, just so you know the truth is whatever you want to think." Dolly said blandly while looking to the ponies and zebra crowding her house with a raised eye as she advertised her artist friend rather blatantly.

"Yes, how do you know Princess Celestia and how come I've never seen you before if she knows you so well?" Twilight was really curious as she has been around Celestia for some many years and Dolly has obviously been in Ponyville for a while but she wasn't that much older than her.

"You've never seen me because I left her side not too long after she picked you up as a student and I was a rambunctious valiant filly then. Came here to become a mail mare and rather quickly a dispatcher with my thrice curse friend Dipsy. Okay next." Dolly didn't answer Twilight's other question; she just made more questions pop up. Why did her arrival drive Dolly from the princess's side?

"But you didn't answer my other question and." Twilight received a held up hoof causing her to stop. "And you asked two questions for which I only had to answer one and I did, next."

Trixie watched the exchange; there was just something about Dolly. She was noticeably dodgy when Celestia was mentioned, despite her face being completely blank.

"Will we learn more stuff about you Dolly?" Everyone turned to Derpy in honest surprise; they wondered why she didn't know so much about her own boss. Dolly knew what Derpy wanted to know and she might as well give it to her. "If we survive this, I hope I can learn about you too. You're a wandering enigma Derpy, you have no background before you came to Ponyville and even then nobody has ever come sniffing around for you."

Derpy gave a quaint little somewhat sad smile while her eyes went in opposite directions, the thoughts in her mind were here own and she knew it was only a matter of time before they learned about each other.

Derpy's past was as mysterious to her friends as it was to anyone else and even all Princess Luna knew was that she was able to Eagle or Birdie every single hole in a simple game of golf, "It's all in the delivery" she would say.

"Who… who would you expect to… die first if we all decided to go on this mission? You know when things get really bad." Trixie found her voice and it was squeaking out exactly in the way Twilights friend Fluttershy would. Dolly trotted to a standing position in front of the slowly rebuilding magician that had finally progressed to preteen almost ready to admit to her mortality so she can hit adult again.

"Me. And you know what? I'll welcome it if my sacrifice doesn't mean you don't die under exactly ten minutes after I'm gone and start falling apart all over yourselves." Dolly was telling the truth, with her abilities to sense danger as it came she almost always ended up in the path of danger making sure someone else is out of it.

"Brave thing a pony that doesn't fear the bodily rift, but it makes me guess do you have a gift?" In essence Zecora notice something odd about her mannerisms, the way she moved and how she acted. It was true she would later say, no pony that was normal would act that way.

"Yes, every pony in life gets the gift of a cutie mark a moment in time they realize something important of themselves and it's a constant reminder we keep with us forever no matter the lesson or meaning of said symbolism. Mine in particular was very broad in meaning when I earned it." None of the ponies knew what Dolly meant. But Zecora obviously knew it now, as her eyes narrowed and Dolly was looking her in the eyes without so much a change in her demeanor or show of emotion.

Every small twitch the lovely cold mare had made, it makes one wonder when the price will be paid? A shield upon which disasters struck, this mare would fight to defend to her very last buck.

"Well are you going to join me or let me go alone?" Dolly finally said to all who were intently looking at her.

"Dolly you're my boss, I'm a mail pony and even if I weren't obligated to go. I'd still follow you even if you told me to stay behind, just out of the fact that you made me aware of what you were doing in the first place. I can't sit by in good conscience, because I'm a likely target as any other mail pony out there sooner or later. " Derpy sat down and pulled a muffin from out of nowhere to start nibbling on it.

"Figured as much Derpy, you're as emotional about the mail as I am, the only two things you get more emotional over is muffins and friends which aren't that far from each other on your scale." Dolly didn't smile, but she wanted to and she looked to the other three ponies in her house.

"I'm going, I want to see why Celestia recommended me to you and she's never steered me wrong before, I know I can be of good help too you I just need to find a book on traveling by hoof first." Twilight had a bit of an optimistic streak about her; despite how often she gets driven to insanity by the nature of Ponyville's normal belligerently random and socially wild atmosphere. Dolly wondered how long until she folded without her friends being around, hopefully Derpy can fill a void for two ponies at once and if only Twilight knew why Celestia suggested accompanying her.

"Glad to have you as a part of DERP, you are a deputy mail pony now and you don't really have to deliver mail, you just have to help me this one time and any time after I can maybe help you." Because Celestia knows Twilight wasn't the most important pony in the grand scheme of things going on in the shadows. Yeah right and Dolly would sooner grow a unicorn's horn and gain power over all weather, which was actually Rainbow Dashes department.

"If she is joining then I will too, no way am I leaving her alone with you." Zecora was obviously suspicious of Dolly, but it wasn't as bad as when everyone else in Ponyville was suspicious of the zebra. Not yet at least, but Zecora might become paranoid at the slightest twitch from Dolly. Who she was assuming to be cursed much less something worse.

"I wouldn't worry about her dying anytime soon." Because if Twilight dies, it doesn't matter whether or not you're around to see it you'll know she's dead where the huge hole forms with a sound that can be heard from hundreds to thousands of miles away. That was the most disturbing thought Dolly has had all day, it was a good thing Twilight was a well studied pony and that Celestia saw her magic when she did.

So long as no one knew the truth that Twilights cutie mark was actually of an explosion and it represented raw power then no one was the wiser thinking it was just sparkling stars against the darkness. In fact a star was another word for sun which was a really powerful everlasting explosion of fire and energy at a massive distance from their world, just like every time Twilight got mad or ate something spicy she lit on fire. It was just a surprise nobody saw the connection yet and the fact that Twilight can't hold onto her anger longer than maybe a few seconds was most likely thanks to Celestia making sure she could control herself, it actually took a lot of Pinkie before Twilight went temporarily nova.

Now all the eyes were on her the normal and numb Trixie, she still wasn't quite herself and she most certainly couldn't call herself great and powerful without actually being that.

"I'll join even if you never do anything for me, you don't need to promise me anything." Dolly motioned to Derpy to follow her lead. Derpy got up from her seat and joined Dolly in hugging the poor magician again, she needed comforting right now. After a few moments Dolly backed off from Trixie and Derpy stayed where she was being affectionately friendly was her thing as she continued to wrap her wings around the needy and sad Trixie.

"Okay it's pretty late, Zecora you stay with Twilight tonight if you don't mind Ms. Sparkle. Trixie you're staying here in my home and Derpy you can go home anytime to get some sleep or you're taking the other couch. Tomorrow we set out for the medical building, pick up some supplies and then we'll hit the road after consulting a map then marking locations to check for this dangerous delivery disturbance.

As her guests were leaving the house Dolly bade them all good bye before she turned to Trixie with a stern expression.

"You're taking my bed no exceptions. I'm sleeping on the couch." Dolly's voice wasn't harsh but Trixie recoiled expecting a verbal beat down.

"Okay… wait what?" Trixie's brain finally caught up with her, Dolly said she was sleeping on the couch and that she was getting the comfortable looking bed she saw passing the open door in the hallway as she made her own way down the stairs earlier.

"You've got a lot to learn 'Tricks' and I hope to be there to see your actually being a real pony magician, mail is my life, magic is yours. Learn how you can fit in without being full of yourself. We all have our dreams don't try to ruin others to further your own." Dolly went and flopped down on the couch and Trixie just watched as Dolly made her body comfortable and started to sleep.

()

As Trixie lay in Dolly's bed it was apparent the other thing Dolly splurged on wasn't just the bathroom and soaps. It was so comfy and it felt great to be sleeping in a wonderful bed after spending several nights in tree's to avoid predators eating her in her sleep. But something was not right; she didn't feel right sleeping in this bed for some reason.

Getting up Trixie looked at her cleaned cape and hat, she made her way out the door looking into the bathroom and looking at the shampoo Dolly had used on her with a frown. Making her way downstairs Trixie looked at a snoozing Dolly and at her fridge. She sniffled a bit.

Dolly just let Trixie into her home without a second thought, she fed her, cleaned her; though it would forever be an embarrassing memory, with some rather expensive looking shampoo where at least Dolly had the decency not to scrub her underbelly areas and finally her hospitality in giving up her super comfortable bed.

()

The next morning Dolly felt comfortable and she knew Trixie had been affected by her kindness even if some of it was rather harsh, because she was sleeping in her own bed.

Looking away from her bed she saw Trixie snuggled up using a sleeping bag as a blanket on the couch she moved upstairs, her head was laying on a pillow as she slept soundly. Trixie didn't want to sleep alone apparently and Dolly felt sorry for the magician, she must have been so scared to be alone for so long trying to impress anyone who would listen.

Dolly knew that the real Trixie would eventually be back after that minor bear attack brought on by a couple of foolish foals because Trixie liked boasting way too much. Twilight took care of the bear but it kind of scared Dolly knowing what power lay beneath that bookish pony's horn.

She smiled as she stretched out her wings in a popping noise and she gave Trixie a pat on the head before moving about to make breakfast, she idly wondered how Dipsy was doing getting a rather peculiar twitch that her friend was in danger but what could she do about it the sleepy pony was miles away. She just hoped Dipsy Duh was fine, she was lazy but she wasn't a slouch when it came to a tough situation. Unlike the poor Dixie Day who wouldn't fight back unless a friend was threatened and she was the one specially trained by her parents who were Guardians with high hoof-to-hoof combat records.

()

Dipsy Duh just couldn't get a full twelve hours or more of sleep. As after solving a Werepony epidemic turning all of them back into normal ponies, she was attacked by the Vamponies that were behind it a day later. So they too were turned back to normal. Then she was attacked by ninja ponies that were behind the Vamponies the day after that. If that wasn't enough after defeating the order of "The rather highly annoying ninja ponies with horribly scratchy adolescent voices", she was attacked by the Griffon Assassins that were behind all that the next day. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She was a normal; somewhat narcoleptic, pony for crying out loud she shouldn't be able to handle this much stress! But she was, just to spite the Griffon Assassins and whoever was behind them.

(End Chapter)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Brownies.

Derpy yawned as she rolled out of bed falling flat on her face again causing her eyes to go spinning slightly. She straightened her eyes out immediately and took a step towards the stairs only to set her front hoof down on the skate she left there last week causing her to tumble down the stairs and end up on her wings. Her mail bag fell on top of her from its post like it always did in the morning. She was clumsy and not the air of professionalism she tended to show, she wasn't a morning pony and she needed her sugar intake via muffin.

Smiling to herself Derpy made her way to the bathroom that was on the first floor for a reason she would not go into. After getting a shower, drying off and putting her mail bag around herself she thought about what to take with her on the mission of importance that involved danger and intrigue.

Too bad Dixie wasn't going, it was going to be a lot of fun and scary at the same time but most importantly she would finally know what Dolly does in her spare time when she wasn't busy. Hopefully her secrets would hold out as long as Dolly's would, she knew they wanted to know things about each other. They both must have had rough pasts behind them.

After finally having a list of things to put into her mail bag, Derpy picked up a several things placing them into it. A hoof file, a bit of string, one golf ball, a solitary paper clip, a single can of instant five second tornado and a pouch of normal blue marbles she finally found after they went missing for the last three months. Now all she had to do was figure out how to stuff enough muffins in the bag to last her a month, maybe that instant mix stuff that you just had to add water to.

She hummed as she made her way out the door to see Dolly, who said they would have breakfast today at her place when she bade them farewell and Dixie was going to be there with muffins! Muffins always cheered her up wonderfully and maybe; with Dolly's help plus the additive of a homemade muffin filled with love, Trixie would be a better pony just like Luna. All she needed was a good friend and it would be a large step in the right direction especially if she had a sordid past she didn't like to talk about like they did.

The way Derpy figured it; they were all compensating for the loss of something and had hidden untold stories. She was not far from the truth and she knew it, it was just getting all the truth out into the open was the problem not to mention keeping it between the three of them. Maybe four if Luna was looking for more friends, Dolly sure hasn't met her and Trixie would be humbled to meet someone who is actually great and powerful without the boasting.

As she was just upon Dolly's house she crossed paths with a rather somber Dixie who tossed her a muffin from the basket she was toting around and gave her a cheery "hello" but it still seemed rather subdued for the mothering, kind and sweet pony.

"Are you alright Dixie?" Derpy wondered if the dreamy look on the mares face meant something interesting, said mare turned and gave her a simple response. "I'm fine and I was having an idea for something. I'll bring it up when the rest of our mailing team is having a get together I want to run the idea by all of you when I can get the chance. How's Candy Horn been doing lately? I heard she came down with something dreadful."

They started talking about average things and eventually they walked into Dolly's house to a wonderful smell; Dixie was a great teacher judging by the smell alone. Pancakes not made from grass this time, frying pan made vegetable mix with potato's and some odd circular brown things that were obviously made from bean curd and mushrooms.

Trixie slowly trotted into the room with her magician's hat floppily on her head and sniffing the air, she saw that there were two grey ponies that looked like twins sitting at the table and Dolly was wearing a protective apron while she finished stacking up more food. Whatever that smell was, she was eager to explore it and she felt like eating muffin all of the sudden.

Derpy got her attention by asking Dixie to throw Trixie a homemade muffin, with or without muffin mix Dixie could make an excellent muffin with the right ingredients from scratch.

Then a hoof at the door was heard and Dolly just yelled for them to come in. Both Zecora and Twilight entered without pause and Zecora took one sniff as she walked in before her face lit up with a smile.

Dolly invited them to pull up a chair and start grazing on the spread, it was all going very fast.

"What is that heavenly smell, I wish to know the recipe as well." Zecora was soon introduced to the premiere cooking instructor herself, who could do just about anything you could ask of her within reason. Zecora and Dixie hit it off immediately with a strong bond over talk of cooking and medicine, Dixie wasn't much of an herbalist but she could still mix medicine for sore throats. Medicine was more like Ditzy's thing as she camped outside of Ponyville constantly and knew what plants did what.

It wasn't useful for a pony that never got sick like Ditzy, but it was good information to know to help others.

"Ditzy's cooking is just horrible tasting, but very healthy for anyone who wants to survive out in the wild, by the way Dolly what do you think Ditzy is doing right now?" Dixie was enjoying her morning get together meeting new people, this was all exciting for her and she was going to be dragged through another day of Cutie Mark shenanigans and maybe poor homeless Dinky could join them as she didn't have her cutie mark either.

"Oh, I'm sure she's being a menace as always and someone's taking more aspirin then they need too right about now. Maybe I shouldn't have put her on freelance to that construction crew." As Dolly mentioned freelancing, Twilight perked up and decided to question whether it was legal or not to let mail ponies freelance like Dolly did.

()

"We need a doctor quickly, also there's a mare having a foal over there!" The mare of the construction crew with a pink coat and blonde mane had just pulled one of their own from Ditzy's latest wreckage; they really needed to mark wider safe zones.

The mare having a baby was the wife of the colt that was just slightly injured in her recent accident, the mare in question was on her way to visit her husband when her water broke not ten feet from the experimental construction site. Ditzy had a creepy smile cross her face with her crossed eyes as she stumbled from the latest wreckage; this looked like a job for nurse Ditzy.

"I'm a licensed nurse! Get me a med kit, a mattress, hot water and a warm blanket!" Everyone on the construction crew screamed in fear when they heard that Ditzy had a license to do medical stuff and all of them were pulling out medicine bottles and ingested a pill. But after that they quickly carried out her orders, soon a crying foal was had and the colt was able to stand but he would have to lay off his left hind leg for a few days. The bright side is that he would get to enjoy time with his newly born daughter named "Flue", the Stack's family thanked Ditzy for all she did and she even got to hold the foal.

This was all despite the fact that the Ditzy scared the snot out of everyone in the construction crew and their relatives with all the horror stories surrounding her.

()

"And that's why I'm allowed to hire my girls out to do freelancing; I used to freelance all the time and it helps build skills that could be useful in delivering the mail and if we ever were to be out of a job we have other abilities to fall back on. Plus the proceeds from freelancing go in part to paying some charities to help ponies everywhere, another small part to our mailing office and finally us the ponies in the mailing business who work hard to make the future a brighter place." Dolly had fascinated not only Twilight, but the silent and intrigued Trixie as well with stories of how her ponies did freelance stuff all around Ponyville.

What was really interesting was that Dolly taught Rainbow Dash a few hoof-to-hoof combat maneuvers and held classes for any pony that was willing to learn to defend themselves especially if they wanted to be travelers. The short story of a mare with a compass cutie mark after that was just as enthralling, even Zecora commented that there were ancient zebra civilizations that were like what Dolly described.

"Well I guess that was a good breakfast. Hope you got packed and that everything you packed was essential Twilight, no books that you aren't willing to lose. Trixie don't worry I'm already planning to provide you with some general provisions. Derpy it looks like you're all prepared except you don't have any muffins in your bag. I'm well aware Zecora that you tend to rely on the land for sustenance but you're going to at least need a canteen. Dixie it's been nice to have you over, now if we can all get going to the hospital to see Spaniel only then can I plan my own supplies from a specialist." With that Dolly clapped her hooves together and they were off, Twilight had to detour to drop a lot of books out of her satchel only leaving the most useful books for which she had copies of already.

When they saw the colt in his bed he looked horrible for a pony wrapped in multiple bandages, it was hard to describe what he looked like under the bandage except for his cutie mark being that of a bird. Derpy tried to smile but at this moment she couldn't but she did offer a bushel of flowers from out nowhere.

"When did you have time to get flowers? Do you have some silly powers?" Zecora looked all the more confused but the collection of flowers did promote health, kinship and get well. Derpy shrugged not really wanting to explain herself while placing them in a vase that wasn't there a second ago to keep them fresh until he could eat them.

"What happened to you sir, if you're not in too much pain?" Twilight had never seen a pony this bad off since herself and she healed ridiculously well for a pony that had a piano dropped on her, Dolly walked up next to her and expressed her own concerns. "Can you even remember what happened?"

"It's fuzzy, but I think I recall suddenly being unable to fly for some reason. I glided into a landing and then I was running for my life, but then it's all blurry I remember arrows… the forest…" Spaniel was in pretty bad shape but the healers were at least working their magic and gave him some very nice looking visitors, considering they were all pretty mares. One looked rather familiar, and then he remembered who she was and his eyes widened in a panic.

"Dolly! Did you… get the letter, please tell me I didn't lose it." He started coughing up blood and he had excited his wounds to much on recognizing Dolly. A unicorn nurse quickly rushed in and magically scanned him to assess the problem while letting Dolly continue to talk to him.

"Yeah, I got it and you didn't lose it Spaniel... you did a good job. Now tell me where you went down; I need a place to start looking!" Dolly already had an idea of what happened to this Pegasus. Now Dolly needed a place to start looking for trouble, she already knew what supplies to pick up.

"Around… Fetlock Forest and Mangora Mountain… be careful out there Doll-face. Use… the mountain… to form a… circle." Spaniel wheezed out before leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Dolly knew he wasn't dead and what he meant when he said Doll-face, she just had to take the diameter of the area surrounding area using Mangora Mountain as the center and Fetlock Forest for how big the circle is by spinning the radius around the mountain.

The mountain was a commonly traveled thoroughfare for mailing ponies to fly over but it was treacherous to even fly close to the ground as there are tons of dangerous creatures in that region, mostly the magic orb spiders who are sometimes sought out for the magical spheres they can produce that could let you see anywhere within a limited range, you didn't even need magic to use them either as they work for the one in contact with the orb. The only reason why more beings don't try to get these orbs is because the spiders that make them can see someone coming with them.

Thus it's near impossible to sneak into an orb weaver's warren without having your organs liquefied and sucked out by the giant eight legged monsters.

Fetlock Forest was tamer in comparison but still deadly, usually the denizens ignore the trail that the ponies use leading through the area but the fact that Spaniel was assaulted there meant something was up and that's where they'd go first before checking out the mountain as that's where he became flightless in the first place.

"Is he…" Twilight started slowly ears tilted in fear only for the nurse to salve her nerves. "He lost a lot of blood yesterday and he's still recovering, please leave in a calm and respectable manner while I see to it that the patient is perfectly fine."

As they left the hospital Derpy looked back at it sadly, poor Mr. Arro was so badly off and he was one of the best long distance flyers. While she and the rest of team forty might need to make a junction or two to make deliveries he flies directly to a place without stopping anywhere in between and he was someone to truly look up to, only he wasn't looking so good right now.

After stopping at several shops to pick up a canteen for both Trixie and Zecora with a small amount of travelling supplies, Dolly led them all to the one place that Derpy spent a lot of time going to when Applejack wasn't around to ruin it for her. It was the Sugar Cube Corner shop and Dolly turned to address all of them.

"Excuse me I have some special supplies to pick up and there's only one pony in all of Ponyville that can make them, I won't be long." Dolly marched into the shop looking around at all the pastries, baked goods and assorted food items. She wondered where Pinkie was at this time, because she was posed to be right here.

From Derpy's perspective as well as the other three members of DERP, they watched as Pinkie appeared from out of nowhere behind Dolly and yelled something. Dolly shot into the ceiling causing small amounts of dust, wood and debris to fall to the floor.

"How does she do that?" Twilight asked rhetorically because even she couldn't put a scientific explanation to Pinkie being able to teleport like that, she wasn't a unicorn. So it made no sense like her "Pinkie Sense" and as Pinkie has mentioned before she knew every pony in Ponyville including not surprisingly Dolly herself, but what did Dolly need from Pinkie?

"She is like an amazing little child; her tricks are always really wild." Zecora watched as Pinkie started bouncing around Dolly apparently singing something excitedly, only to get a hoof in the mouth stopping her from continuing her antics. That was the same thing Rainbow Dash does to Pinkie on occasions, was the first thought that came to Twilight's mind.

"I have to say, I've never actually seen an earth pony do that." Trixie actually joined in on the conversations since they first started touring Ponyville, usually to pick a fight with Twilight. As her canteen hung loosely against her chest she felt a beat of friendship in her heart. It would become something Trixie cherished as much as her recently cleaned clothing and being clean not to mention having her mane refreshed.

"PIE-FACE! Settle down I need a special order." Dolly received a mock salute from her substitute dispatcher who giggled with glee.

"Okay what do you need Dolly? I've got everything and more, from my special interest store! Would you like some jumping juice or maybe something like power persimmon punch? I've got all kinds of stuff, just hanging around and I'm willing to sell to one of my dearest oldest friends whose going on an adventure out of town. Because I'm Pinkie, your one stop shop for it all. Special today on invisibility ink, if you're going to be running into danger and especially your fears! You'll find my anti gravity shakes, one sip may make you fly if not fall! I've got poppers that will make you laugh as you disappear! So what is it that you think you need Dolly? Cause I've always got everything and more, especially in my special super secret hidden store. Don't you know I'm always here for you and if you think I'm leaving you with empty hooves why the thought of it could just make me… LAUGH!" Pinkie was an excitable fun loving scamp that actually got Dolly to smile before it fell when she decided to make a special order that she knew might or might not upset Pinkie, who was in a fit of giggles.

"Special number four and I'm not kidding, I'm going to need it." Dolly said simply with as blank a face as she could muster to prove she was serious, Pinkie gave a disheartening laugh which soon turned into a frown.

"You're not serious are you, but that's dangerous! I mean the Streamers and the Poppers are fine, but the BB's and the C Four! Are you crazy? That stuff is dangerous and it could hurt some pony! Why not just take some Gummiberry Juice while you're at it, at least that stuff will make you all happy and bouncy as I am." Pinkie didn't have a nice look on her face from what everyone outside the store had seen; in fact she didn't seem as happy as she was a second ago.

This was rather disconcerting to Twilight who had never seen Pinkie get angry; in fact it looked like Dolly didn't seem to be flinching in the slightest from Pinkies puffy pout. After a few more words were shared between Dolly and Pinkie, Pinkie was apparently trying to make some kind of compromise. But the pink pony sulked when it became apparent that there was no compromise with the blank faced grey eyed mare. Whatever Dolly asked of her it certainly was serious, to get Pinkie to stop acting hyperactive.

"Dolly I don't like giving these things to you, but you better not hurt Twilight or Derpy with this stuff. By the way is that Trixie out there? Is she going to not be a boastful mcboaster pants? I really want to be her friend like I am with Gilda she's been a lot nicer lately and…" Pinkie might be sore with Dolly for a while but she'd still talk to her. All Dolly did was simply move a hoof across her chest and tapped the left side of her head while giving Pinkie a wink but no smile crossed her face.

"Pinkie no distractions, hoof it over." Listening to what Dolly was saying Pinkie frowned and ducked behind the counter.

In her secret special interest shop that only a few ponies knew about and she had to keep under wraps, Pinkie started pulling stuff from what she had stocked away a while ago. After she got all the stuff Dolly needed she looked at a particular small bottle of red liquid and then reached up with her hoof when she felt a twitch come over her. Only Celestia and a small gaggle of freelancers knew she even had stuff like this.

She came back up with a satchel minutes later and shoved it to Dolly who put it around herself before pulling out a large amount of cash and placing it on the counter which Pinkie simple took without question or exuberance.

"Hopefully I won't have to use any of this, but if we're going into danger and I find out that you didn't pack the maximum number of C Fours. It'll be on you whether I come back from this mission or not, make sure to visit Dixie everyday something is making her feel sad and she needs cheering up. Good day Pinkie, I hope I come back from this alive as I know you never say good bye unless you mean to say hello again." Dolly watched as Pinkie gave her a brave smile, the poor pony knew what kind of stuff Dolly was carrying now and it broke her heart that that kind of stuff was being used again.

"Okay Dolly, I'll watch the office while you're away and make sure Dixie gets a cheer up party or whatever it is she needs. Don't worry I packed exactly ten poppers, twenty special five feet streamers, fifty BB's and four C Fours." Dolly noticed Pinkie was trying to put cheer in her voice but it was obvious she couldn't do it and just sounded like she was straining against herself. Especially when it came to the most dastardly weapon ever devised by the pink pony actually coming into use, the C Four stuff was not to be taken lightly, in comparison the BB's were less lethal but still pretty dangerous if having multiple different uses.

"Good, see you later pinkie, if there is a later Pie-face." Dolly gave Pinkie a determined look before she was outside and addressing the others on what they should do next. Pinkie's hair almost went straight, a few tears came to her eyes and she wished hopefully that Dolly would be back.

"Okay we are officially ready; you are all members of DERP and volunteers you can drop out at any time if you're uncomfortable, but know this… I'm not the leader of this expedition." Dolly caused them all to blink; they thought she was leading them through all this.

"But, I thought you would tell us what to do ma'am." Derpy gave Dolly a mail pony salute which caused her to smile a little that Derpy was still a trooper she could count on. Even if Derpy were battered, bruised or slammed through a brick wall she'd promptly get up, deliver the mail and then proceed to pass out.

"No we're all equal in this; no pony is above another we each have our differences and strengths, whether we take advice from each other or not, we're doing this. If anyone has anything to say they speak up and offer to advise our course of action, right now I'm suggesting we head straight for Fetlock Forest and a start our search there for any strange happenings." Not getting any response Dolly turned and trotted off with Derpy following her immediately at her left side. Trixie thought for a moment and went next and stayed on her right side. While Zecora and Twilight brought up the rear.

"Into danger I be walking, I just hope all we do is a lot of talking." Zecora's voice was heard loud and clear and thus they chatted about everyday random things as they exited Ponyville.

Dolly brought up how her days in the past week or so had been slow because of this incident messing up all the mail deliveries; it was just a surprise no delivery pony went missing yet. So far the closest to going missing was Spaniel Arro laid up in Ponyville. Trying to steer the topic away from such trying thoughts Twilight brought up a discussion of edible flora and fauna. It wasn't long before Trixie actually snapped at Twilight when she said daisies were the best tasting flower around and complained that it was sunflowers. It was surprising that Derpy put her hoof down and became voice of reason for the two as she settled their argument, then started talking about how many kinds of fruit flavored muffins there were and the power of muffin being a religious practice for her. Dolly rolled her eyes; she was going to need the extra bottle of aspirin she packed.

Soon they were standing outside of Fetlock Forest. Trixie and Twilight got on each other's nerves constantly but at least Trixie wasn't being a braggart, she already learned her lesson the hard way but she was still combative where Twilight was concerned. Zecora was being rather quiet never having spent too much time in the company of others like this before.

Derpy just fluttered around Dolly playfully flitting about in the air with her wings flapping constantly until she was over the trees of the forest, that's when things started going downhill for DERP. Dolly stopped flying forward above the other ponies as she felt an odd twitch that there was danger ahead and stopped to hover outside the edge of the not very thick forest, but it was thick enough to hide its dangers from the unwary. She watched as Derpy flew over the forest and saw that Derpy's wings snapped to her side immediately against her will and she fell into a tree on the outer edge of the forest before finally flopping onto her face as she hit the ground with a few leaves sticking out of her mouth. Dolly was about to fly forward to help Derpy up only to pull back as she felt a very wild cold twitch go down her spine again causing her to stop and settle on the ground.

Trixie was first to Derpy's side asking what happened, Derpy tried to work her wings to fly but they wouldn't move at all. Dolly who was hanging back looked in the distance between her and Derpy before she trotted forward slightly and felt her wings lock up as soon as she stepped within the forest, she moved back slightly and her wings were back under her control.

"Now that… is rather interesting. Trixie, Twilight, tell me if you can feel something in the air!" Trixie and Twilight both responded to Dolly's urgent voice, with haste as their horns glowed. They both felt something and their eyes widened as they were feeling an immense pressure of magic blanketing the forest causing them to back out of the forest, but not without dragging a dizzy Derpy along silently chewing on the leaves in her mouth.

"What is this? It feels like the entire forest is out to get me." Trixie stammered out as she started to cower slightly. Why was she cowering? She was the above average and moderately talented Trixie! She still wasn't quite back into the bragging business yet.

"I think I might have a headache, how can some pony use this much magic to cover a whole forest and what does it even do?" Twilight was curious whereas Trixie reacted with fear; they both had the right idea about what Dolly certainly felt. Kneeling down next to Derpy she had the pony flare her wings out and she did so. Dolly had Derpy get up and trot a few steps towards the forest until her wings snapped themselves closed.

"Does that answer your question? Anti flight magic, potent too. It'd bring down any Pegasus that flies right into it unless they had the same sensing abilities I do. Spaniel must have been high enough from the magic that it didn't immediately close his wings so he had enough time glide to safety until his wings cut out over the forest. Falling a great distance he was still able to drag himself out of the forest where he was assaulted by unknown assailants with purpose to stop the mail from getting through, the big question is who is causing all this? Not who is helping the cause, which we will probably find in there." Dolly got a strange look from Twilight as she wandered over.

"Sensing abilities?" Twilight asked in a questioning tone as her face showed the curiosity it always did; she loved studying and experiencing new things. Frankly friendship was one of the best things to happen to her as it got her to stop being a shut in and now she had to try and be friends with Trixie; it was just that the mare was making it so hard to get along.

"Do you know about the Pinkie sense? Because that's similar to what I have, I've tried to teach Pinkie, but she doesn't have the same flare for detecting danger that I do. Instead her sense is more geared toward sensing humorous outcomes, just watch out when she has an itchy twitchy nose." Dolly saw the skeptical look on Twilights face and decided to give her a history on sensing abilities as she herself saw it.

"Are you always skeptical about abilities outside your ability to comprehend? Well then let me tell you, the ability to sense things occurs in Earth Ponies at a high rate, some winged ponies pick it up as well but it's more uncommon and finally unicorns never get the ability because it ends up being broken down and thrust into their magical ability giving them a little more raw power than usual. Winged ponies that get it, only get it because they have at least one earth pony in their ancestry and it doesn't matter if said pony had the ability or not. The ability to sense things is quite random at what you can exactly sense; my ability is the 'danger sense' which is why it became a nickname of mine. I know when something dangerous is about to occur, from what direction, the size of the danger and who it might affect. " Dolly didn't feel threatened by any danger until she stepped close to the forest and once inside the boundaries of it her sense went slightly haywire as her wings snapped to her sides, her ability to sense danger would be useless as she'd be in constant danger the second she stepped into it. The danger was positively too massive to tell where smaller dangers would be coming from.

"That's rather incredible and fascinating but how does it work? Pinkie couldn't explain how hers worked except what certain twitches mean and even that didn't explain much!" Twilight threw here hooves in the air agitated that someone knew all about 'Pinkie Sense' thing and could have told her ahead of time before she got humorously injured multiple times.

"Quite frankly it just does, that is all you need to know. Some would say heightened senses but that's not entirely true except maybe in some cases for a few ponies that can sense things by even the faintest of sounds. It's better that you don't try to understand because seeing what you can do, you were possibly born with a powerful sensing ability that got turned into raw power. Meaning if you weren't born as a unicorn you just might have been one of the unlucky few to have a future sensing ability and those are the worst kinds to get because that kind of ability is never safe to have and has drove some ponies to complete and utter madness if they couldn't control it. Now calm down and let's start up a round of suggestions for how we go about this, because obviously me and Derpy aren't going t be flying anywhere once we're in that forest and my ability to sense things will be next to useless from the constant danger I feel just standing outside of it." Dolly watched as Twilight slowly calmed down and they sat down and started to graze outside the forest while coming up with ideas for what to do from here.

"I feel that this won't end well, but that is only something that time could tell." Zecora was staring at the forest as she bit into another flower and chewed.

"Must you always rhyme?" Trixie was getting annoyed that the zebra couldn't stop speaking almost perfectly in rhyme, there were a few times but that wasn't near enough and she was feeling very wary about the forest already. Most of all she was wondering if she was born with a sense that got dumped into improving her magical ability because there was a few times she could do some really weird things when she focused hard enough. To know Twilight might have been born with something that translated into the raw power she saw that night with the Ursa Minor did explain a few things about the purple unicorn mare and how she could be so powerful in magical ability.

"Sorry I can't stop it I say, for I will most likely always talk this way." Zecora shrugged at that and continued to stare at the forest, she actually felt at home in the Everfree Forest with all its dangers, but Fetlock Forest is making her nervous despite looking entirely peaceful. It was a small gallop away from Mangora Mountain after all and that's why it was making her nervous, she never wanted to see one of the giant orb weavers personally.

"As Ditzy would say, "no flying is content to grape juice about" whatever she meant when she said it." Derpy's wandering eye problem tended to make Twilight feel awkward for staring and it was becoming more and more noticeable as time went on. Derpy was a fully functional mail delivery pony and she shouldn't be staring like she was.

"Well I think we should stick together and keep a look out for anything suspicious while we go in and search around. It's not overly big forest so we shouldn't get lost." Nobody had a better plan or idea, so they went with Twilights. Dolly organized them into a pentagon formation where she was at the front Derpy and Zecora were at the back. Trixie and Twilight were far left and right respectively, they were told to stop anything from coming at them too fast if they could by using levitation magic. They all started trotting at the same speed while keeping their eyes wary of their surroundings while the sun was still high in the sky filtering through the trees in spots along their way.

The further along they moved the more Dolly started to sweat and feel a burning pain in her head; her danger sense was flaring brighter and brighter all the time. They had to be getting close to something at this point. It was also noticeable that there were no birds around and her skull was on practically on fire with warning her about her surroundings.

Dolly had to stop, causing the others to watch as took a pill of aspirin dry, followed by a swallow of water from her canteen. Some pony considered the dangers of her overdosing on aspirin, but when it was found out it was impossible for her to overdose or get any harmful side effects from the medicine she took it as freely as she needed too. She did however regulate herself to one dosage followed by a three hour limit before taking another.

"Dolly, Ms. Verance is everything okay." Trixie watched as Dolly put a hoof to her head before nodding. Trixie wasn't as reassured as her... well she didn't know what Dolly happened to be to her. Though seeing Dolly looking severely uncomfortable and sweating a lot, had her worried.

"I just have a bad migraine of a headache, there's so much danger around me it's actually causing me to feel pain. But whatever the danger is we're getting close to it, but I'll be fine enough to fight no worries there. Though eventually my ability to sense might overload if this keeps up and then I won't have it for a while, happens to those who can sense the future quite often as a coping mechanism." Gritting her teeth Dolly kept moving forward while Twilight watched her, feeling as if she wanted to do something to make it easier on Dolly but there was nothing she could think of.

Derpy has never seen Dolly this poor off before, then again she had never seen Dolly do much outside being a mail dispatcher, weather pony or any other odd job she had like teaching hoof-to-hoof basics.

"Dolly… didn't Mr. Arro mentioned arrows after he fell?" Derpy's wandering eye caught the sight of something the tree's around them. Her head swiftly swiveled towards it whereas nobody else noticed it, but a shadow could be seen leaping through the tree's disappearing into the backdrop.

"Yes he did… why do you see something, Derpy?" Twilight was concentrating on her surroundings and the shameless and humble Trixie was on high alert as she was nowhere near Twilights caliber of pure power. What Twilight had in power, Trixie made up in having finesse and control.

"I saw something moving in the tree's when my eye was wandering; it ran away as soon as I tried to look towards it." As soon as Derpy had finished saying that Dolly was immediately on high alert; as was everyone else, they were being observed. Right now Dolly was too stressed to concentrate on any particular danger as the entire surrounding area was swamped with the feeling and it was only getting worse by the second.

"We're not alone I feel, soon that danger will be real." Zecora was moved to the center of the group calmly by Dolly whose eyes were jittering about the shaded area looking through the trees for whatever threat may come. She put her hoof down in irritation and she almost didn't see the arrow before it was stopped in front of her eyes. Trixie was glad she caught the speeding object when she did and with a flick of magic she flung it back in the direction it came causing something to scream out slightly, but then all was quiet.

"Brownies." Dolly said under her breath. While Derpy kept perfectly still her wandering eye problem was actually being useful for once, as her eye wandered she could see shadows moving quickly all around them. Zecora shifted back a step, they all heard the subtle crunch of leaves. Derpy saw one shadow stop with a shine of metal pointing at...

Derpy turned around and threw herself bodily onto Zecora and an arrow whizzed through the air where her body would have been. It was quickly caught by Twilight and magically flung back at the thing that shot it causing it squeak as it took a blow to the head from the shaft of its own projectile falling into some bushes which shuffled as it ran away.

"Now is not the time to be thinking of snacks Dolly we're under attack by whatever it is that's shooting those arrows at us!" Twilight evenly said keeping her concentration in a half circle area in front of her stopping a few arrows that shot her way with levitation magic and then dropped them carefully on the ground ready to launch them once she could see a target.

"I was not asking for a snack, what we're dealing with right now is a group of creatures called "Brownies" and usually "Brownies" are not violent like this. Something has them agitated enough to attack us." You could positively hear the air quotes in Dolly's quiet, sardonic voice as she put a hoof to her head and then randomly rammed into Trixie to get an arrow in her flank below her left symbol.

Dolly hissed in pain as the arrow that was sticking out of her was bobbing up and down with each step, causing no end to any agony as she tried to keep her eyes out for any more, backing up with every pony into a tight cross formation. Trixie got up and looked at Dolly, but she wasn't seeing Dolly at the moment she was seeing something else as the flash of a bloody visage crossed her vision.

It was replaced with Dolly getting her attention as Zecora carefully pried the arrow out of her flank causing the blood to flow more freely and she quickly placed on some odd looking gunk she had scooped up from the ground. It was followed by Zecora slapping a leaf over it where it got stuck to Dolly's hind quarters like a bandage. Dolly only grunted slightly and kept any sound of being in pain to a minimum at the arrow being removed. Zecora had to dodge a few arrows to get at some of the soothing moss, arrows littered the ground where her hooves had struck before Twilight levitated them and flung them back into the brush.

"Trixie I respectfully ask that you please do get back to saving my butt anytime now. Anyway Twilight, Brownies are brown fox like creatures that can walk on their hind legs; they aren't very dangerous unless they are disturbed. They are sometimes said to become invisible but that's not true, as they're name suggests they are very much brown and thus indiscernible from tree bark making them hard to see in forests. " Well at least Twilight knew what was shooting at them now, but not how to deal with it and Dolly was being very quiet right now.

"Well do you know why they're attacking us?" Despite previous reactions to movement Twilight was understandably surprised that no more arrows followed as she whispered back to Dolly.

"One something's clearly got them upset like I already said, two they react to quick movement and loud noises poorly. Like the twig Trixie stepped on." Dolly said quietly, looking at the ground they noticed a snapped twig. Her reaction speed had to be amazing enough that she knocked Trixie out of the way just as the twig snapped.

"So if we stay quiet they won't shoot at us?" The scared and somewhat hopeful Trixie stated.

"Not exactly, I just said they reacted to loud noises poorly. Not that they were deaf or dumb. Any pony got an idea? We really need to find what's disturbing everything that ends up causing stuff like this to happen, lucky no pony has traversed this forest in a while." They all stood there thinking quietly how they were going to get out of this mess.

"Any chance we can reason with them?" Twilight said trying to always mediate a fight where plausible.

"Do you speak Brownie? If not, that suggestion is immediately shot down." Dolly said eyes slowly scanning the tree's around them.

"Is there any chance we can out run them or for one of us to lead them away?" The mildly wary and planning Trixie stated with her glowing horn held aloft at the trees in front of her.

"Make it plan B, what we need is a plan A… one that doesn't involve any more pony perforation." Dolly silently hoofed at the leaf covered her flank where the arrow had hit her.

"I have an idea that seems clear, what if we try and lure one near? We can show we mean no harm, the plan could work like a charm." Zecora was looking at one of the Brownies they were hard to pick out against the trees but she could see its outline and Dolly looked at Zecora behind her.

"Is any pony against that course of action? Because it sounds like a plan to me, I don't mind taking a hostage in a friendly manner, but whose going to do the luring." Dolly watched as Derpy slowly raised a hoof shaking her head that she had something against it.

The wall eyed pony then lowered herself to the ground and crawled quietly away from them into the nearby brush; with the other four watching curiously wondering what she was up to.

"What is she doing?" As far as Twilight could tell they were still not raising their voices for the fact that they didn't want to die because a curious bunch of forest folk got jumpy about strangers in their forest, also the arrows look like they hurt from the look on Dolly's face.

"I think she has her own plan." The forlorn and distraught Trixie stated, she actually liked Derpy's muffin ramblings and was started to feel a bond with her and her oddly alluring cheery smile. After a few minutes of quietly waiting around Twilight had a grimace on her face as she thought that something bad might have happened to Derpy.

They were all sweating making sure to not make any sudden moves when suddenly a bunch of Brownies just dropped out of the tree's making squeaking noises as they did with their tails waving in the air as they surrounded them completely. But the short fox people weren't notching any arrows in their bows or making any aggressive actions toward them.

Still not making any sudden movements they watched as Derpy trot back up to them with a cute little brown and green furred Brownie curled up on her back making cute noises. The quiver carrying brown foxes with homemade bows jump up and down excitedly at seeing the tiny injured fox snuggled into Derpy's back between her wings.

"The little kit was trapped under a large rock; I'm surprised they let me help her. Can I keep her Dolly?" Derpy spoke with a normal tone of voice and despite how agitated the Brownies seemed Dolly relaxed a little, despite the fact that they notched arrows but didn't fire almost instantaneously the second they did was generally some good news that at least they weren't on the offensive anymore.

"No Derpy, besides it belongs with its parents" Dolly said edgily, not trying to get any more arrows shot at her as even if they were small, they hurt a lot.

Looking at the fox creature Zecora strode off without a word, the Brownies watched as she moved around the area looking at and picking up a few plants.

"The little one is very well hurt; if we help her maybe this meeting will be harmlessly curt." The Brownies were curious about the four legged creatures or mostly the odd looking black and white one. Zecora started mashing bits of plant into a fine paste to make the swelling go down and heal some of the injuries the kit incurred from what had happened to it.

They were sure now that the equines weren't exactly hostile or dangerous, they were protecting the kit from the threat that has recently invaded the forest when it got trapped and the threat has already eaten a few winged ones from their hunting grounds.

Besides the winged ones of the hunt staying on the ground, the Brownies also didn't like that the flying beauty speakers were also flightless. It was a bad omen that the creature that invaded their forest was the cause and these strange creatures weren't involved with that. In fact these look like the creatures that wandered by their areas every now and then, apparently they were curious of the flightless singers as well.

The Brownies watched silently as the Zecora took care of the poor little Brownie kit; it leapt up and licked Zecora in the face when she was done before going over to the others and squeaking something to its own kind. It was making gestures at the ponies with its paws, but it didn't seem to be talking in any hostile manner.

What they did next was rather strange, the ponies and the resident zebra watched as the Brownies started to draw something on the ground in great detail combining their efforts to ask for outside help and they were praying to the vixen goddess of the clouds that these creatures would help solve the dilemma.

Trixie and Twilight immediately knew what it was but the others didn't. The Brownies were looking at them expectantly; they had banded together and decided to draw images on the ground to relay their desire for help, along with using sad facial expressions to help the thinking process along of why they took to drawing the picture. The kit said they were nice and not hostile or even meat eaters, but they were large plant eaters and some of them were made flightless as well judging by the fact that two of them had wings and weren't enjoying the use of them.

"What is it?" Derpy wanted to know, next to Dolly who looked at the picture with a quirked eye.

Apparently Trixie and Twilight knew what it was or they wouldn't be looking so pale, it must have something to do with magic then.

"I think that they want us to help them with it, but who could possibly summon one of those? I mean I've seen a picture like that in my book of magical monstrosities, but every story I've heard about them has them eating the unicorn that tries to summon one for whatever reason they'd need a carnivorous beast like that. " Twilight turned to Dolly who gave an empathetic shrug. What this news implied was that this mess was caused by a magical being that wasn't a pony, plus it was causing the Brownies to act the way they did. They were rather cute when they weren't lobbing arrows at you and the way their triangular ears twitched in rhythm was kind of adorable.

"I can think of a few good reasons, but that would be me just being petty. I've read a thing or two about these creatures myself, never thought I would actually see one personally. I'm most certain that even I a unique and intelligent Unicorn can handle one." Trixie's false bravado didn't exactly shine through as the other mares stared at her, she was almost bragging but it was true that she was intelligent in her own way and that she was a unique a unicorn as any other with her own talents.

"Yes, but neither of you two are stating what this image of the thing they etched into the ground exactly is… so out with it!" Dolly saw the pensive look on Twilight's face and mildly scolded look on Trixie's.

The Brownies were waiting patiently watching as the creatures made neighing noises to each other, obviously the language was hard to understand for them. The kit that had been caught by a large rock was bouncing around cheerfully as she yipped about how the creatures understood what they were trying to get across. One male Brownie in particular wagged his tail in indecision, was it really wise to invite the powerful looking horned ones that glow as the circles in the sky to deal with their problems?

Derpy wondered how everyone else's day was going, so far nothing seriously scary happened other than having arrows shot at her friends and ending up in one of them without too much harm by the chocolate foxes that were actually pretty friendly. She really wanted a pet, but Dolly was right the Brownie did belong with its own kind.

()

Ditzy and the construction crew were getting a lot closer to finding a solution to the age old problem of how do you keep a Ditzy from knocking a wall down? Rubber cement wouldn't work because of structural integrity issues and so far as they could tell, there was no wall Ditzy couldn't bring down. This just left them with the option to have the support structure strengthened to the point it was still standing even if it didn't have any walls left.

The results were a bit better after that.

()

Dixie pined as she watched the little unicorn struggled to read, it tore at her heart strings that the poor little thing was being raised randomly by volunteers and it didn't have a stable home life except for maybe Cheerilee the school teacher who couldn't always be around to take care of the poor thing as she was busy with looking over school work or life kept getting in the way.

Slowly Dixie wandered to the child and carefully looked over her shoulder, the little unicorn looked up at her with those cute big eyes of hers from her reading and slowly Dixie started to form a bond by asking what she was reading. The Cutie Mark Crusaders wandered over looking into a new prospective unmarked member and soon all five of them were sitting in a small circle while the little filly known as Dinky tried to read the story to all them with minor supportive help from Dixie, she was letting the little foal read for herself unless she needed help. Obviously Cheerilee had a hoof in teaching the foal to read.

It was heart meltingly quiet in Ponyville, compared to what was happening somewhere else in the world involving Vamponies on this particular day.

()

Dipsy ducked a fireball as it melted the snow in the surrounding area. Ponies were running and taking shelter everywhere around her or trying to knock the wyverns from the sky.

Just how screwed up could her life keep getting? Now it was the high intellect wyverns that had hired the Griffon Assassins and saying these wyverns had some intellect was something because most of their species were crude and full of idiots that could be led to fly into walls.

Dragons usually were fine with anyone as long as you didn't touch their treasure, you left them alone and you didn't disturb them. But a wyvern actively hunted out fresh pony meat and other beings heads to munch on; they were quite nasty to deal with. They were also the exceptionally rare fire breathing kind of wyvern which was an awful prospect to Dipsy that her luck wasn't getting any better.

They had two large wings brimming with muscles, snake like head, two powerful clawed feet and a vicious tail ending in spikes, they were the reason why Wonderbolts existed in the first place. It roared angrily as Dipsy took cover behind a heavy fire proofed table that was knocked over in the ensuing chaos.

"Mighty fine day for a tousle yah bonny lass, I be seeing if I can knock a few from disturbing ye' if you don't be given a hoot about having all them smart beasties yourself. Otherwise I'd be saying you be hogging all the fun for yourself and they don't be looking that tough." The earth pony that spoke to Ditzy was a rather unusual Celtic pony by the unusual name of Sham Wrecked Rocky who had apparently recently colored her whole coat to a really ugly shade of plaid from its normal forest green color.

She had bright orange eyes, a messy red mane pulled into a loose wide braid and she was a rough in tumble kind of pony who Ditzy met at a lemonade drinking contest after the thing with the griffons and continually wished that she hadn't. She was the most oddest Earth pony anyone could imagine especially when she could get drunk by just consuming lemonade, not to mention she goes through all the signs of truly being drunk including the entire barfing portion afterwards. Lemonade was truly unbelievably alcoholic to her and her flank mark was a shamrock with a portion of the shamrock being pink noticeably forming a heart within, representing pride in her clan or something about pride in being tough that she rambled on about when they met.

Apparently Sham thought they were good friends after the fierce fruit juice drinking competition and being drunk under her own table while singing songs about how brave ponies died for the future of their clans with strength and honor.

Quite frankly Dipsy Duh wished she never had met the loony, at least her friend was more normal earth pony that was a salon manager named Goldenrod Brunecutte who did all the work by herself and had the questionable symbol of two pink cross symbols with circles at the ends. They latched together overlapping twice at the circle portions.

Goldie had chocolate colored eyes and a wondrous shiny gold coat with a brown stripe running down her back and long light brown straight hair flowing to the floor on both sides of her head and her tail was slightly curled inward towards her body at the tip. Apparently Goldie had a thing for brushing and styling mare manes and from what Dipsy saw she had something of a great friendship with that blithering wreck of a pony currently about to get herself killed.

Just why couldn't she get sleep for more than three hours, was that too much to ask? Was following the trail of evil behind evil leading her back home worth it? For some reason she was getting closer and closer to ponyville after the last three days she just hoped things were okay there, Snoneigh Heights wasn't far off from home.

Fire licked at her cheeks as she watched Sham ducked from around the table and charged yelling at the wyvern that was on the ground throwing fireballs around like candy at a Pony Clause day parade, this was the worst possible freelance mission she had ever been on and it just couldn't get worse then fire breathing wyverns.

()

As soon as Dipsy was finished defeating the wyverns she learned what was behind the intelligent creatures as they dispersed into thin air. It had been four long insane days, but at last the being behind all of this was at Mangora Mountain and currently all she wanted was some sleep the world could wait another few days without her messing up whoever has plans this time. She promptly fell asleep as a singed and burnt, but somehow victorious mess if barely stark raving mad by this point with want for nothing but to sleep.

Her dreams were haunted with what happened the past few days. Day one curing wereponies and vamponies, day two ninja ponies with annoyingly squeaky voices who were much nicer after she was done with them, day three Griffon Assassins were she picked up some really interesting equipment but they all them escaped in the ensuing chaos she caused and finally today's run about with intelligent fire breathing wyverns that were specifically targeting her and the mailing office in Snoneigh Heights.

In the background Sham was excitedly exclaiming her victory over the two magically summoned intelligent wyverns she dispelled, despite her hair being a total unbound mess and being a walking bruise, she was yelling her acclaims to the sky for being a powerful member of the 'Rocky Expectations' clan.

Soon Sham was yelling angrily as Goldie pounced on her with a brush exclaiming that she should take care of her mane better and Sham was responding violently by trying to put up a fight and failing to do so as she fell drunkenly into the clutches of the salon manager being too tired to put up a fight with her.

Eventually they or more to the point Goldie managed to get a cart that could bear Dipsy's dead weight having befriended the narcoleptic and wanting to help her since she didn't do anything during the fight as she watched her tartan friend get tarred left and right while managing to put up a decent fight for someone who couldn't fly like Dipsy could.

While Dipsy slept they moved her into Sham's living arrangements, Sham wasn't happy about having her mane forcefully mane-tained by her friend who was always creepily eager to put a hoof on another mare's hair and she always liked long hair for some reason. Oh she does her job well, it's just that Sham can't stand all the hair care talk or all the fussing over her mane and trying to force her to be a smidge more pretty.

Sham knew she was a lost cause and she didn't want Goldie to bother her about it, but the dumb poor mane loving mare wouldn't drop it no matter how hard she complained that she was part of a rough housing non girly clan of warriors.

At least it gave Sham an excuse to drink more lemonade and so did fighting two wyverns into the ground; it was time for the clan to hold a celebration in the honor of a battle well fought.

Hopefully Sham's thirteenth cousin wouldn't drink all the pomegranate lemonade before she could get any of it, it was the good stuff!

(End Chapter)

Note: Dipsy will appear again much later as she is now currently in the future compared to everyone else. So the story will have to catch up to her with Dolly's group whose story has yet to reach that point.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Kobold.

Rainbow Dash had wondered when things had become so quiet; it was like there wasn't anything going on or as if something was missing from the town. Ignoring that feeling Rainbow Dash launched from the cloud taking off towards the post office, it's been a slow week there and maybe Dolly had some time off to teach her a trick or two in karate. While she was doing this she was recalling the fact that the entire town of Ponyville seems overly interested in her orientation when as far as she can see she had none.

When she arrived at the post office she was met with an odd sight, Pinkie being quiet and with a mare that looked kind of like Derpy except her eyes weren't looking off in opposite directions.

"Well of course things in Ponyville have gotten better since you started delivering the junk mail." Pinkie was being rather supportive there wasn't much to dispatch Dixie to do, but she needed someone to talk to her. Dixie was a social pony that has been talking to Pinkie the substitute dispatcher for the past hour or so.

"I don't know, I mean has anyone been getting any junk mail since I started delivering it?" At Dixie's words Pinkie gained a bright smile.

"I think that's the point Dixie, Dolly knew you'd make ponies happier by losing the mail that no pony wants in the first place, whoever is getting it must almost never get any mail to begin with and that might be making them happier even if it's stuff they don't really need." Pinkie could just imagine whoever was getting the mail; that Dixie somehow miraculously lost while trying to deliver it, was probably getting a surprise at least every other day and that it was spreading joy somehow.

()

In the vast reaches of space a giant robot opened a tiny letter and read what was inside of it intrigued.

Even if it was junk mail, it was still brightly colored and interesting in an otherwise drab world of wars and constant fighting. He could transform into a jet and he might be a chronic backstabbing machine, but he really was beginning to have an unusually friendly attraction for ponies.

If only he could find a machine that transformed into a giant unicorn and was run by a female intelligence he'd be set. He really didn't need the entire universe at that point, but until then he would just plot his days away trying to overthrow his lord and maybe try to conquer the universe. After much thought he knew taking over the universe was an impossible dream and despite that, it was something to look forward to while waiting for the machine of his dreams to appear. Besides what would they do with the universe once they had it, their cycles had to run out eventually.

But until then the robot had to smile or in most cases smirk.

()

"Pinkie, what are you doing here and where's Dolly?" Pinkie and Dixie turned to Rainbow Dash, one with half hearted smile and the other has yet to be introduced and had muffins to spare.

"I'm standing in for Dolly… she's went off on a secret mission. Oh and she took Twilight, Derpy, Zecora and even Trixie with her." Pinkie smiled as she saw the disbelieving twitch in Dashie's eyes.

"Why in the world would Trixie be with them? She's just a braggart who can't back up her stuff." Rainbow Dash obviously still had a grudge against what Trixie did to her, Applejack and Rarity when she was last in Ponyville.

"Oh I don't know, every pony deserves a second, third and maybe fourth chance. She didn't seem to be a big bragger after she met Dolly. OH… we need to have a welcome home party for them for when they get back!" Pinkie brightened up; if she had a party on standby then surely Dolly would have to come to it.

Because anything that has to do with the mail like a party celebrating Ponyville's premiere ponies of the mailing system is sure to attract a fussy Dolly saying they should be delivering mail to the ponies instead of cake to their mouths.

"Well there goes my idea of finding someone to teach me some hoof-to-hoof lessons, now what am I going to do." It was when Rainbow mentioned hoof-to-hoof that Dixie perked up; maybe it'd get her mind off trying to give Dinky a stable home if she sparred with someone who was willing to let Dolly use them as a hoofing bag. Dinky had a lot of problems behind her and Dixie wanted her to have good future, she wanted to go over it with her mail team to share the unicorn between the four of them, then they can all care for the little one.

"Maybe I can help? I'm on Dolly's level, but I don't like being aggressive so don't expect me to throw to many attacks at you but I can correct you on your form." Both Pinkie and Dixie saw the bright eyed look in Rainbow's eyes.

Seriously someone on Dolly's level of karate and basic hoof to hoof without being aggressive? Rainbow was going to have a field day. Pinkie gave a smile as there was no mail going anywhere except local area which she took care of herself, so she had some free time to join in on the fun before she had to work at Sugar Cube Corner.

()

The two regal ponies with horns and wings, sat together alone in a throne room in a castle built into side of a mountain. One was dark as night and the other was bright as day.

"So… this Dolly, she's special like Twilight? Then why didn't I see her when I went Nightmare Moon on every pony?" Luna was sitting beside her sister discussing the mail dispatcher in Ponyville and why she required special attention.

"I had her away from Ponyville on other business, Dolly was better off not getting involved with you. Plus I didn't want you to get hurt, she's a good freelancer and if you mess with the mailing system you better hope that it isn't her that comes after you. Just trust me my beloved sister, she can probably take us both out if necessary and that's only if she has the full help of the elements of harmony and maybe their wielders behind her." Celestia was seen as a wise and wonderful bright cheerful being. That couldn't be further from the truth of how the princess truly felt as she leaned on a phoenix for companionship for over a thousand years in grief with but a few respites by several generations of friendly ponies.

Celestia has been more relaxed lately spending much more time with her sister who's taken a liking to golfing because of Derpy the mail pony. Her sister Luna wasn't bad at golfing but there was no way she could beat that mare without enchanting the ball personally and that would be cheating.

"Take us… what are you saying?" Luna looked kind of stricken, she'd understand if Celestia had said to take her; the moon mare herself, out, but Celestia has never done anything wrong. She'd rather imprison Celestia than hurt her physically.

"Look, despite the constant sunshine of a pony I represent, I'm not perfect and even I know that too much sunlight will cause painful burns with over exposure. Luna we may be powerful but we must never forget we can be dealt with and that we are not invincible. If what happened to you is what happens to me eventually I too would want to be stopped before I hurt some pony." Celestia looked away from Luna tears brimming upon her usually pristine form, before she got up and trotted away from her wide eyed sister leaving a few words unsaid.

Luna thought her sister would appreciate a thousand years of loyalty from her subjects... the truth of matter was actually a little more complicated then she was willing to comprehend at the moment. She needed to make more friends; Derpy was busy with that Dolly pony. Who could she spend time with? An explosion was heard and Luna looked out a nearby window and saw a building collapse, this stuff had been happening all day and Celestia said it was a construction project… maybe she could help! It'd get her mind off the fact that her sister was afraid not only for her, but of herself and what she was capable of doing. The day that lasted forever was as equally devastating as the night lasting forever and Luna quickly shunned the thought that Celestia could be driven to be like what she had become.

()

A Kobold was a forest spirit, a five foot tall armored lizard warrior that walked on its hind legs and usually wielded a scimitar blade, a spear or an axe with a shield that had a spike extending from the center. It didn't need a helmet to protect its head and with its toothy maw being relative to an alligators. Its claws could rend a pony in two if given a chance.

There were several kinds of Kobold's, some with wings and others with the ability to chill a pony to the bone with its frosty breathe. They exist in another realm and magic can draw them into the world and as soon as that magic runs out the Kobold would go back. No unicorn has ever survived summoning one on purpose or by accident, as after they are called into the world they usually have enough energy to eat their summoning master before dispersing to from where they came from.

Only Celestia or Luna would have hopes of actually controlling one and it was a good thing neither would actually try to summon one on the fact that it might actually kill some pony, even Nightmare Moon didn't summon one because she didn't want to kill the ones she wanted adoration from. For all she wanted was the beauty of the night to finally be appreciated.

Twilight figured she was about to get a crash course in what a Kobold could do and exactly how powerful they truly were as they were led by the Brownies toward a ravaged area that looked like the remains of a small village. Her eyes looked at the damage trees, the area strewn with shattered arrows and no blood anywhere, she felt the eerie quiet settle over every pony as they stood there.

The village was even smaller then Ponyville but considering how big Brownies were and their relations to actual Foxes it was understandable. The bravest Brownies that led them into the area ears were twitching wildly they were constantly on alert and their bows were always notched, their eyes darted everywhere and their noses sniffed for even a hint of the reptilian stink that destroyed the homes they had made at the base of some of the currently toppled trees. Twilight was studying the Brownies having never met creatures so intriguing since the Parasprites, there were a lot of things in the world that needed to be catalogued judging by the way that only Dolly seemed to know what they were.

Suddenly the brave Brownies tensed before leaping for nearby trees and blending in with the bark, Twilight took notice that all male Brownies were covered completely in brown fur and female brownies had green colored fur in splotches around their bodies. Obviously the females lived off the ground whereas the males lived closer to it and they moved like flying squirrels with leaps and bounds between the trees. They smelled like the kind of trees they were born in and she in particular liked the pine scented one she had been near.

Zecora took a moment every once in a while to scoop something or other into a pouch bought in Ponville by Dolly, there was a cornucopia of useful flora as long as the fauna didn't mind them stopping every once in a while for her to pick some useful herbs for any number of occasions. It wasn't too slow, but the sudden disappearance had her back away from a bush towards the others and they were all suddenly alert as the Brownies had been.

"Why do I get this feeling that the lizard has landed?" The agitated and slightly contempt Trixie said sardonically as she and Twilight had been conversing what they knew about Kobolds between them. It was agreed that only magic can summon one of these foul creatures into their realm and whoever could control one had to be powerful. Given that they were knowledgeable about the subject, except they've never seen one in person or much less fought one. This should be an interesting experience. The other ponies, and present zebra, had been listening in, picking up on what Twilight and Trixie knew of the drawing the Brownies created on the ground. The Brownies were actually pretty good artists if the party if equines were to judge after they saw a Kobold for themselves.

They were standing out in the open looking at the trees watching for any movement from the ground or from above, the Brownies had vacated the area or were watching from safety for what was about to happen. Dolly had a very bad headache at the moment and it was getting worse, depending on how close the Kobold was. It was already adding much to the migraine she already had about the entire area being flooded with danger.

The Kobold lunged for them and appeared to be quite intelligent as it managed to target the least alert looking pony, unfortunately that was a mild mistake that anyone would make. As it brought down its sword Derpy lifted herself onto her front hooves into a perfect upside down hoof stand narrowly avoiding getting her rear end sliced in half losing a minute amount of tail hair in the process.

The lizard eyes narrowed on the frightened wall eyed expression on Derpy's face before she flexed herself inward and bucked out into the creatures face staggering it before it could bring its shield up.

Derpy rolled from the impact with the iron muscled face and her legs were numb. At least she was standing as she controlled her roll so that she was facing the lizard as it roared at her causing her mane to flop backwards wildly. Hitting it was like bucking a solid brick wall and she wasn't very strong in offensive maneuvers to begin with, she should probably stick to the Bumbling Pony Style of martial arts and not try that again.

"Why isn't my magic working? It's like there's a void where the Kobold is." Both Twilight and the scared and panicked Trixie's magic reacted in the same way. Upon the Kobolds speedy entrance; they both tried to levitate it or alter its course and failed to have any effect much to their disbelief as their horns glowed strongly trying to affect it.

Zecora was scaling a nearby tree and was going to stay out of the way unless she could figure out a way she can stop such a beast, at least she wouldn't have to step in unless it was about to make a pony into a feast. Even then she wouldn't know what to do as a fighter she was not, this situation to her has gotten way too hot.

Derpy wasn't going to be able to dodge with the way her hind legs were currently wobbling as the Kobold gained its equilibrium and jumped at her raising its sword high in the air, held tightly in its right claw. This caused Derpy's ears to flatten and her eyes to widen as it came down at her.

It was soon body checked by an angry looking Dolly in slow motion as she wrapped her hooves around the creature's midsection. She managed to buck the sword out of its claws before she got stuck in a tumble that ended with the creature victoriously on top of her. The sword landed point down near some bushes forgotten as the Kobold had a victim now.

Its left leg was stomped down on her lower torso with a mild noise of pain from Dolly as the most of her right hind leg was under its crushing weight, the other foot dug into the ground as it thrust its right claw down to hold down her left front hoof and moved its toothy maw in for the kill.

Dolly threw her free right hoof into its face as hard as she could too little effect and then again putting a bit more force into it dazing it slightly but not enough get out from under its weight. All Dolly did was make it mad and in response it raised its left arm claws, shield and all back. It swung down sending blood flying from the left side of her face instantly taking the fight out of her as she screamed.

Trixie's pupils shrunk; the bloody visage was back and this time it was a reality, she reacted almost instantly realizing that using magic to directly affect the Kobold was not going to work just turned her attention to a nearby tree. If Twilight couldn't affect the Kobold even with raw power she had then something a little more solid might work as she lifted the once standing tree and stumbled to the right slightly from the weight of the levitation spell she was using. Taking a few more steps to the side, she lunged to her left and snapped her head in the same direction as well sending the tree hurtling straight for the Kobold.

Dolly could feel its jaws coming to a close over her head only for her right eye to see clear sky through the canopy of trees a second later, as her left eye was covered with blood she could tell she was bleeding badly from the claw marks along her face as she felt it trickling along her nose. She was in pain and she quickly she flicked her short mane into her the left side of her face, where her white hair became slightly pink as it weighed down by her blood soaking into it. Trying to stand up she felt as if her back right leg was broken; she'd simply have to write it off as a sprain and keep fighting.

"Mommy!" Trixie ran up too her crying and was hugging poor Dolly before she knew what was going on.

"Tricks get it together, whatever happened to your mother I'm not her. Besides we still have a Kobold problem, I don't think throwing logs at it will get rid of it so easily." Dolly didn't know what to do as Trixie wasn't letting go and she appeared to have mentally snapped. Well helping the alone and lonely Trixie to stop being a braggart of a pony was now coming back on Dolly and she had to deal with the consequences of a distraught mare while in a bad condition.

"Don't go… I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough mommy… please don't go." Trixie was in a different world altogether, she wasn't seeing what was really going on anymore and cuddled up to an injured Dolly who was trying her best to calm the poor mare down.

Twilight looked quite heartbroken and tried to make her way over to them, or at least Trixie to provide comfort for reliving whatever trauma she was going through. Twilight knew for sure Dolly wasn't her mother and was now intrigued to hear the story behind how Trixie became like she was when they first met. Derpy was finally getting some feeling back into her legs and tried to move in the same direction.

"No! The danger has yet to pass; the Kobold is still in the grass!" Zecora yelled mostly to Twilight and Derpy who looked up at her as Dolly and Trixie were currently busy dealing with each other.

From her position Zecora watched as the Kobold with slightly shattered armor was already getting up and its left side was only mildly bruised, what happened to it next left the zebra entirely confused.

The Kobold reached out with one of its claws and touched a bush before disappearing, it reappeared near its sword laying around the bush it landed next to and grabbed it before disappearing once again. Its shield and sword were still in good condition and it was choosing a new target.

It would save the other two for later, they wouldn't be getting very far. It licked its lips with its tongue before licking the blood off its left claw in wondering how sensational the live and fresh meat would taste if the blood was that good.

"I am mostly perplexed; it appears to be teleporting around you. Have I been hexed?" Zecora wasn't making much sense to Twilight who knew now to heed the zebra's advice on anything now after the poison joke affair and the fact that the Kobold could teleport dropped the other shoe. From the look on her face Twilight didn't exactly know what to do.

"Zecora where is it?" Twilight wasn't going to panic, she was better than that. These equines were relying on her to help them, but her magic was useless against that thing. For some reason it didn't work on the Kobold at all and she knew she was casting a spell but it didn't seem to connect.

Zecora bit her bottom lip and lifted a hoof making a light motion and pointed behind her and to the right, Zecora currently saw the eyes of the beast in the bushes around the small destroyed villages clearing looking at Twilight.

Twilight's ears dropped to the side her tail went limp and she twitched, it was behind her? But what was she going to do, she couldn't fight that thing!

Twilight galloped out of the way as the reptilian monster as it rushed out with its shield held aloft in an attempt to skewer her, it was more cautious than before even knowing that magic other than what brought it here personally wouldn't affect it and it could teleport when it comes into contact with a bush. There was a saying about how Kobolds put the word 'bush' into ambushed, even if Twilight hadn't heard of it she was lucky that the Kobold was actually wary of them to commit fully to a high speed charge.

Twilight ducked, jumped and dodged out of the way of the sword it swung wildly and avoided getting spiked on its shield when it was thrust forward as she was trying to figure out how to stop it. In the background Derpy was worrying over Dolly's face and she was comforting Trixie.

"Derpy stop worrying about us and get in there and help Ms. Sparkle that's an order mail mare. I want you to deliver!" Dolly was slightly cross with Derpy worrying about her injuries when she was perfectly fine standing on three hooves and currently blinded in her left eye. Derpy threw a quick salute with a serious looking wall eyed expression before her eyes straightened out and she looked around before marching off and away from the frantically dodging Twilight. Twilight lost a bit of her mane and got a small cut across one of her legs almost getting a worse injury after that in the scuffle throwing a rather ineffective buck whenever she could.

"Tricks can you let go of me please… um… mommy has to help her friends now." Dolly felt awkward saying that as she was sure Zecora or even the actual and internal Trixie herself were hearing it, she tried to pulled away but the cape and hat wearing mare just wouldn't let go. Dolly knew she was the only one here with no innocence to be broken as she has ended a life before, not necessarily a pony's life but a few exceedingly dangerous creatures nonetheless that Celestia herself was worried about dealing with.

"But if I let you go now, you'll never come back... you'll never come back." Dolly was going to hate herself for this later, as she moved to do something about the sobbing and obviously hysterical Trixie. She paused in her action as Derpy shot by smiling and holding a Super Mare pose kind of like one of the many failed Rainboom attempts by Rainbow Dash.

Twilight had managed to get some kind of levitation effect on the Kobold. Only she was affecting its armor or what was left of it, shield of which at some point she had magically snapped the spike off of it and wrapped it tightly around the Kobolds left arm cutting off its circulation a bit and the sword she was currently busy trying to pry from its grasp but it was resisting her magic more than the armor or shield.

Twilight didn't seem to take the obvious route with crushing it in its armor, but that would have saved them all a lot of time except that poor Twilight the book smart pony didn't have an overly violent bone in her violet colored body. Derpy however did when she came flying in from out of nowhere into the creatures chest destroying the rest of the Kobolds armor. Twilight's concentration lost hold over its equipment at that time as she switched focus to catch Derpy after she rebounded off the Kobolds body leaving a small bruise mark on its chest, joining the mark in its left side.

The Kobold roared angrily as Twilight gently set down Derpy with her wonky eye and victorious smile except her front left hoof ached from the impact and she was currently sore in three different places all of them centered on her legs. That little moment of Victory died with the realization that using Rainbow Dash's tree branch slingshot maneuver didn't stop the Kobold much less keep it from wielding its sword as it tossed away what was left of its armor and shield ripping both off of itself while getting very, very angry. Twilight couldn't get any hold on the sword with her magic it seemed completely immune now; it was probably the close proximity with the armor that gave her any control over it in the first place.

"Please Tricks be a dear and do a trick for me using this, on that. Oh and stretch and wrap as much of it as you can around the thing, show mommy how you wrap presents." Dolly decided against instantly snapping Trixie out of her state and instead went with digging into her bag and coming out with one of several special Pinkie Pie Products she got back in Ponyville. She pointed out the Kobold and smiled coldly sure this might be using Trixie a bit, but if it made Trixie herself helpful… no pony would say anything.

()

"Hello and welcome to a Pinkie Pie interruption, I'm Pinkie Pie the Party Pony of Ponyville and here's a little fun fact about me and my products. Oh I could go on and sing you an entire song about how wonderful some of them are but it is a sad truth that some of them are not for the kind of parties I like to throw. Some of them aren't very nice at all, I'll pop in when a product is used to explain its function but not if it spoils anything." Pinkie appeared with a black screen at her back and she pulled out a single button remote and used her other hoof to hit the button, a simple looking five foot streamer appeared on the black screen in nifty three dimensional graphics. She giggled a bit as the streamer on screen stretched out over several extra feet and changed colors as it was stretched. A second diagram soon appeared revealing a different streamer only it was solid green and marked as 'for freelancer use in place of ropes when necessary'.

"This is my Pie Party Product zero zero one, a favorite of mine since streamers are always welcome at any party. My streamers however are exceptionally built to last and you only need one for an entire party as they can stretch around a whole room without snapping back to the original five feet. That's why I call them Stretchy Streamers; they sound so cool like Rainbow Dash." A wistful look crosses Pinkie as she stares off into space and then snaps back to attention once she realized the text talked about her wistfully thinking of Dash even if it's unsure whether or not she'd swing her way.

"Well that's not much of a problem I swing both ways, I'm sure there's a colt out there for me that looks just like her with such a wondrous wingspan and can maybe create rainbows... and mmmm…" PINKIE GET BACK ON TOPIC AND STOP BREAKING THE TEXT WALL! Pinkie garnered a sheepish look on her face as she let loose a small stream of giggles into her left hoof.

"Oh right, sorry, silly me it's just a lot of shippers like the idea of me and Rainbow together and well I like reading about it too, so I'm open to the idea. Anyway my product the "Stretchy Streamer" is as tough as steel and can stretch up to twenty times its length. It's for one hundred feet of streamer fun compacted into five small feet." Pinkie you might as well tell them the issue with your product because we don't have all day and you're stalling the story quite a bit.

"Well of course I'm stalling silly, how else will you keep the chapter's length to the maximum? Anyway my products always have these teensy weensy little design flaws… my streamers for example go up like flash paper at the slightest spark and I never quite worked that bug out but at least if it goes up that fast nothing else can catch on fire right?" Are we done here Pinkie? We have a few more of your moments in this chapter to go through and you'll have to keep them all short now. Pinkie Pie smiled with cheery exuberance.

"I'm good, oh and all my products are made with my version of Earth Pony Magic and are guaranteed to do what I say they do! Till next time readers this is Pinkie Pie currently with Rainbow Dash and Dixie Day having fun with "Fluffy Boppers" another Pinkie Pie Party Product for safe play and hitting your friends with the equivalent of a soft pillow wrapped around your hoof".

()

Twilight leapt aside as the Kobold brought it sword down vertically and then suddenly lashed out with its claws catching Twilight around the throat. Before it could do her any harm, Derpy leapt in and gave its arm a moderately average one legged stomp causing it to drop Twilight. It screeched and snapped at Derpy with its maw while bringing its sword around, missing the winged pony by a few centimeters as Derpy stumbled and flopped backwards out of its range.

It turned and lunged at Twilight again, it has been having a hard time trying to injure her and she was covered in bumps, bruises and an assortment of self inflicted injuries she got from avoiding damage that would be far worse. Rarity would have been complaining about how dirty she was getting avoiding this thing; it had taken a few swipes at Derpy when she interfered to attract its attention away from the unicorn that was barely getting a buck in edgewise against the sharp blade it was holding.

Twilight figured things weren't going well and this wasn't coming to a quick conclusion, it didn't seem to be tiring at all and she didn't know how to deal with it. However that matter was taken out of her hooves when it was caught in the middle of another lunge by what appeared to be one of… was that one of Pinkie Pie's streamers?

It was encompassed by magic as it stretched out and wrapping around the sword, the right claw holding it and then once around the torso to the tail of the Kobold, thus making sure it couldn't get to Twilight as it stressed against what should be feeble bindings. The other end of the streamer was tied to a tree and the tree buckled slightly at the strength of the Kobold's pull as it tried to reach Twilight with its free left claw grazing her coat slightly as she backed up a few steps.

Twilight looked over to see Trixie working her magic over the streamer to keep the Kobold at bay and that Dolly was tossing another streamer to Zecora then pointing in her direction while giving an order to her. Zecora nodded and made her way towards Derpy who was with Twilight and keeping the wildly thrashing Kobolds attention on them making sure it didn't think about going after the others which were within the range of the slack the streamer would give it.

The Kobold however did take notice of Zecora and went to rake its claws in her direction barely being slowed down by Trixie tugging magically at the streamer; Zecora backpedalled to the best of her ability ducking and weaving backwards away from its left arm.

Then the lizard did something unusual, instead of continuing to attack Zecora much to Dolly's disbelief it smirked and leapt over her and grabbed a nearby bush before disappearing leaving the stretched streamer lying loosely on the ground after Trixie stopped channeling magic to it with a sad look on her face.

Okay the Kobold was a lot smarter than they gave it credit for and it was already freakishly strong enough to possibly fight a teenage dragon, but it did give them a useful bit of information that she and possibly anyone else who saw that picked up on.

"It teleports by touching bushes? Not good." Surprising Dolly, Derpy was the first one to voice the information before she could say anything.

"Sorry mommy, I failed." Dolly turned her head toward a teary and remorseful Trixie and forced herself not to be cross with the mental stage magician.

"Its okay Tricks you did your best, now please do your best and help me quickly limp away from here." Next to the tree the streamer was wrapped around were several bushes. Trixie obliged in a tender manner still not actually seeing things in the right frame of mind.

Dolly's hair was acting as a nice bandage keeping her from losing much more blood, but she needed medical attention though she were loathe to admit it at this point. Just when they were barely far enough away from the bushes is when the Kobold burst out at them.

It spooked Trixie badly enough to cause her to have a unicorn foal reaction, which was that she cast a random bit of magic when she became stressed. It was a heavily ramped up fireworks spell with as much power as Trixie could have possibly put behind it, which was shot point blank directly in the Kobolds face causing it to back off with a pain screech as it was temporarily blinded and burned. It stumbled back into a bush and disappeared from sight.

Trixie though frightened continued to help Dolly limp to the center of the destroyed village away from all the bushes, now it was understood why there was no blood and why there were so many useless arrows littered everywhere. The creature could teleport faster than a Brownie could shoot, they needed to tie the monster down and keep it to one spot and away from any bushes.

Well it was a good thing Dolly had Zecora delivered another streamer directly to Twilight with quick instructions on how to use it. Despite how scared she was Zecora actually went along with the idea before the Kobold revealed its last secret to them, it was immune to magic and it was able to teleport but only with the application of a single touch to a bush and only then would it teleport to another bush.

The range of its teleport ability was in question, but that wasn't what was important right now. All they needed to do now was lure it to the center of the clearing in the village and tie it down and ultimately destroy it afterwards.

The how would be settled by Dolly's special supplies, the 'when' would be settled on if she could set them off safely and without dying. Dolly figured it was a moment to use one of the four C Four sticks mixed with as many BB's as she was willing to use, because that was definitely going to kill the Kobold unless it was impervious to that kind of blast.

"Derpy I hate to ask this of you but can you make sure not to panic when I finish off this nuisance? Trixie please go over to Twilight. Twilight, Trixie get ready to hold the Kobold down I'm going to need time to set up to finish it off or else we're not leaving the area at all. Zecora stay safe and be prepared to patch me up after we're done here, if you can't help me I know a place in case this causes me even more serious injury if I don't time it well." Dolly had an idea but it was about as risky as the many other things she's done in the past. It made her recall having a limb magically reattached and restored to her body without any ill side effects except maybe a short stay in a pony medical ward.

Dolly took to standing alone out in the middle of the open area in the village and she was about to attract the Kobolds attention the only way she knew how, she really hated what she was about to do to herself but it was the only way to make her a convincing target to the Kobold.

Lifting her right hind leg Dolly grit her teeth and thrust at the ground hard and she immediately howled in pain, that seriously hurt and she probably made the injury she had already been dealt even worse and she started crying. Her tears were only visible from her right eye and if that didn't attract the Kobold's attention then nothing… oh crap.

The Kobold immediately leapt out of a tree to prey on her weakness and almost got to her before two streamers stretched out entangling the Kobold, it was followed along with a copious amount of vines wrapping up its tail and legs. In fact it seemed like Twilight and Trixie didn't think that was enough when they added several fallen Brownie homes to keeping the Kobold pinned down. Dolly thought it was a necessary precaution as it looked to actually be warping the stretchy streamers almost coming close to snapping them until the trees slammed into it.

"Dolly whatever you're going to do, you better do it now while we have it contained I don't know how long we can hold it down." Twilight was using continuous amount of energy to keep the Kobold from freeing itself, it looked a little silly with having only vines bind its mouth but apparently it had the same problem as an alligator in jaw department.

"Nobody get too close to me then and wait for my signal to release it." Okay it was official Dolly was crazy from Twilight's perspective, but in the lost and confused Trixie's eyes she didn't want to let the monster get to her mother but she wanted to follow her command and be a good little filly.

Dolly moved so that she was next to a tree and opened her pack and plucked out a tube like object with a hollow opening pointing out of one end and several rubber balloons. This got her nothing but curious looks and they wondered what she was doing when she started blowing up balloons, followed by rubbing them carefully against her body before using the static electricity to gently stick them to the tree wincing as she did so trying to support her entire body on her left hind leg which had an arrow lodged in it not long ago.

The Kobold was a thrashing mess and it's binding were actually beginning to weaken leaving Twilight to wonder how strong this creature exactly was, not to mention who in the world summoned the bucking thing in the first place. Twilight felt this situation was going far beyond what she had been expecting when Dolly called her for help yesterday.

After sticking ten balloons to the tree, Dolly carefully wedged the tube like device so that its hollow end was pointing outward in the middle of the balloons and she pulled out a simple looking party popper. She stared the Kobold down as it somehow managed to get itself turned around in its bindings, it's sword was actually beginning to cut into the streamers. The trees the streamers were tied to were buckling almost ready to fall and its thrashing was getting worse.

"Let it go, NOW…" Dolly's voice was flat, cold and several kinds of wrong that said she might be about to die and was prepared to do so. Dolly's headache was just getting worse and worse by the minute, this was an outrageously stupid ploy.

Twilight really did not like the looks of this scene she really didn't know Dolly well but it seemed like she knew what she was doing. Twilight didn't know what a bunch of balloons and a tube like object would do not to mention why Dolly had a normal looking party popper in her mouth, but the Kobold was going to get free anyway so she may as well oblige with Dolly's plan.

The quiet and longing Trixie was a nervous wreck, she was watching a messed up pony she saw as her mother stare down a monster with not an ounce of fear. Trixie wanted her mommy to be okay; yep she was still mentally gone but she still her magical talent as she along with Twilight let the Kobold go.

Derpy didn't panic or looked like she was about too and she simply gave a salute with her eyes both focused on Dolly and a slight smile playing on her lips. Dolly planned to live, she didn't plan to die and she was obviously holding a going away party for the Kobold. Hopefully Dolly wasn't going with it and that she had enough room for one Ditzy Doo size of an error.

()

"Ditzy?" Luna asked questioningly as she saw one of the four grey delivery ponies that went cross-eyed and said weird things often, not to mention she couldn't fly straight at all.

Ditzy turned her head to Luna who was hovering over the latest structure and then she felt the great urge to sneeze come over her. So she did and the entire building in front of her subsequently toppled much to the construction crews consternation to how she managed to topple a building with a sneeze instead of just using her entire body like she always did.

"Oh hello one from the Land of Nightshades, she who flows through the sky as a reflection of the burning gaseous energy ball." Ditzy wasn't even paying attention to the construction ponies disbelief but then again it was just her being part of a secret crazy pony society that broke the laws of physics and a few other things quite often. She wanted to win craziest pony of the month and this month Fluttershy was surprisingly in the running despite not being part of the disorder, but then again their society was crazy so anything was possible.

"Um… hi." Luna felt awkward about never having actually gotten to know Ditzy and she was a friend of Derpy's and even slightly resembled her only her eyes went inward instead of outward, then there was the bizarre invulnerability she had to almost everything. Luna figured she was about to have an interesting experience as soon as she started helping these ponies with their project. That would be her minds worst understatement ever.

()

As the Kobold was released it charged straight for Dolly, she held her mouth over the drawstring of the popper and kept her eye that was not covered by blood, hair and maybe dirt pointed at the Kobold. She was in pain yes, but she doubted it would survive what she was about to do it and she did have some doubt she'd survive if she didn't time it correctly. If the Kobold somehow did survive this, she would welcome the aftermath and she would always be remembered as a courageous pony that never backed down.

There were more elements then the elements of harmony, such as the element of courage for one. Sure it didn't combine to create a seven colored magical rainbow but it got the job done without being special like the six elements of harmony.

The Kobold swung the sword for Dolly's neck as she reared up on her hind legs leaning on her left leg and pushed her body backwards putting herself against the balloons on the tree. She put her all into activating the popper by pulling down with both her front hooves and pulling up with her teeth and head as her right eye stared into the shocked look of the Kobolds face.

What happened was a devastating explosion that decimating anything within forty feet and leaving a half circle melted crater. Within the blast the Kobold atomized leaving behind a small crystal which quickly dissolved to nothingness in the blast.

Three ponies and a zebra sat still blinking the spots out of their eyes as apparently Dolly had just had her final party; the streamers that had once held the Kobold went up in a flash seemingly as an afterthought as soon as part of the blast touched them.

()

"Pinkie Pie interruption moment… I don't want to talk about what the tube object is yet." Pinkie looked horribly depressed her hair was almost straight.

"Pinkie Pie Product zero one two, Ballistic Balloons" Taking out a remote she pressed it dully, she really didn't like the fact that one of the C Fours had to come into use. A three dimensional representation of a balloon inflating then exploding appeared on the screen. A different representation showed a balloon attach to a bottle of soda and a pin was pricked into the bottom of the balloon causing a jet of fire to shoot out and cause the bottle of soda to shoot into the air. The last representation shows it taking down a brick wall like a rocket fired without the rocket launcher.

"This is one of my…'not so nice' inventions. It just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to turn out, Ballistic Balloons started out as an idea for mixing fireworks and balloons. I was successful, but not in the way I planned. The balloons have multiple different uses such as a reverse depth charge (An Altitude Charge), an explosive device, a hoof held and launched rocket and it can work as a one burst flamethrower. The flaw with this product is obvious, it's just too dangerous and not fun at all… well maybe the letting the balloons go into the sky as fireworks portion works but it doesn't make that great a show during the day and it might accidentally hurt a Pegasus." Pinkie wasn't particularly proud of turning balloons into volatile weapons. She looked at the text and figured she had become too dreary so she decided to plan for the next time she popped up which was in another few moments, then she would be back in full Pinkie force.

()

There was a bright light but it wasn't at the end of the tunnel, Dolly was freefalling from high up and she struggled for control of her fall. She could control her wings again unluckily before she could open them and fly or steer herself she hit the canopy and slammed through several tree branches before landing among the somewhat mourning ponies. She had injuries from the tree branches from the fall, the fall itself, the migraine headache, a rather large facial wound and a broken right hind leg, being scratched up, the arrow wound might have been reopened as the leaf had probably fallen off her flank and if she were right her back was burned, so it was any wonder why she felt horrible at the moment. She couldn't even open her right eye from the pain, but at least the migraine was ebbing.

Standing around Dolly's body which had fallen out of the sky Trixie was the first approach and nuzzle Dolly, her back was covered with one large scorch mark and her left flank was bleeding slightly with a reopened wound.

"Please, tell me the Kobold isn't still around after that." Dolly said softly as Trixie snuggled up to Dolly curling up at her side and closing her eyes with a smile knowing that 'mommy' was alright, now it was nap time. The poor mare really needed help and so did the addled and childlike Trixie.

"You know, of all the people I expected to go off the deep end I actually thought it would have been you." Twilight meant nothing by it when she turned to Derpy, but the mail pony didn't react to the accusation poorly.

"I'm not Ditzy Doo. Though she would have been the first one to go crazy and she would have done it proudly." Derpy moved over to the laid out and summarily pained unmoving red coated pony on the ground with a mental but still quite able magician pony cuddled up against her asleep

"Derpy I appreciate the fact that you aren't panicking, but please pick me up and carry me to the northeast of here, don't follow any roads just keep heading in that direction… I have a few friends in strange places that can offer medical help if Zecora can't help me." Then Dolly lost consciousness leaving two ponies and a zebra to make travel to these friends she mentioned, making note that she said nothing about setting up camp.

"Help her I can't, her numerous injuries would cause a medical expert to rant." Zecora obviously agreed that even with all the herbs she has she couldn't possibly figure out how to fix this many injuries, she didn't even know where to start. Zecora however could help Twilight and Derpy at least doing her part.

Some herbal rub to wipe away the soreness in Derpy's legs and something to fix the small cuts and bruises along Twilights body, making sure to pay special attention to her single sword wound on her leg to make sure it didn't get infected.

Twilight sighed; she would have to take control of this situation. Derpy however decided otherwise when she pointed to the northeast and flared her wing out surprisingly while glaring at them and holding a compass which she soon placed back in Twilights bag. This was much to the confusion of Twilight until she noticed the magical presence had cleared up with the Kobold being blown back to its dimension.

Twilight was the one to carry the sound and asleep Trixie, she didn't know what to do to help her. Trixie was snuggling into Twilights back in her sleep causing Twilight no end to the discomfort she felt about having to carry the mare. Twilight started following Derpy to the northeast watching as the mail mare carried Dolly. Zecora took to carrying Dolly's stuff, having applied what passes for burn medication on Dolly's back after doing so.

Twilight had checked a map and there was nothing out there, but Derpy was determined to follow Dolly's orders and she couldn't make the Pegasus change her mind for a safer venue to help Dolly.

Zecora on the other hoof wondered how the Brownies would take the mess and she heard yipping in the form of cheering as they marched towards the northeast for whatever Dolly knew was out there. There were beautiful chirping sounds heard as they left the area.

Zecora gave a smile; things would be just fine for a while.

()

"Hello and welcome to another Pinkie Pie interruption, you're wonder how Dolly survived that right. Huh, huh, huh do ya? Huh? Well think back to earlier in the story where I mention ten poppers or any poppers at all." Pinkie's cheer was back in full force as she didn't have to talk about her more yucky party items, she didn't like talking about her worst ideas. Pinkie pulled out a remote and hit a button. On the screen were a party popper and her activating it, then appearing elsewhere.

"It's Pie Party Product zero zero two. This product was made mostly for my use and I have to say I love these things, but I don't require them to do what I do. Though having a short range one use teleport device on hoof is always worthwhile in the mild case that I can't do the Pinktastic things I'm known for right Mr. Text?" Right you are Pinkie but there is the slight issue with the flaw and you're needed to explain it. Pinkie crossed her forward hooves looking angrily at the text before smiling cheerily.

"Do I have to point out the flaw of every single project; this one is almost flawless in design and almost as fun as my one size fits all streamers!" Yes, but you might as well explain as to why you made all this stuff and how you came about specializing in magical party items.

"Oh, right I forgot to explain how all this ties back into when I got my cutie mark." Pinkie paused to giggle again and she started bouncing around as she recalled her youth.

"Oh those were the mostly boring days, when I discovered happiness of the smile through a rainbow appearing to shine down on a little rock farm I lived at with my family. In fact this is where my knack for inventing party items comes from; there aren't many stores out in the boonies so all that stuff for my first party ever was made by hoof and a bit of whatever I could find and work into what I needed. Now farming rocks is an entirely boring day to day job, but that doesn't mean it doesn't pay well as my family is practically rich. Please note that I said practically, because my family wouldn't know how to throw a party unless I was currently with them if they tried. Being happy and making others happy is all the riches in the world to me. At least my family all remembered to send me birthday cards even when my friends stopped seeming to be my friends. I guess my family doesn't worry about me all that much because I can handle myself quite well what with a lucrative business in party throwing and selling special items on the side in my secret shop." Thus Pinkie Pie has explained where all the stuff came from for her first party and how she came about making magical party items.

"Well the magical party items portion came a smidge bit later, but oh that was the most wonderful funderful time ever when I figured out how to work magic and break reality! Then the secret crazy pony society came to me and made me their queen! In fact the way I came up with Portation Poppers is because I wanted to pop from place to place and what has more pop than a popper?" That is not entirely true but Pinkie was visited by the crazy pony society for being absolutely bonkers. That much is true, but she is not their queen.

"Okay since I'm so happy reliving those wonderful memories of my sisters; who I haven't messed with in ages, I can't possibly be a downer about the flaw of my product. Portation Poppers (AKA Portable hole Poppers) will only send you where you want to go sixty percent of the time, the other forty percent of the time is a surprise where you might end up and that's actually not a bad thing because it means every single popper has a small chance to surprise you despite them all being one use, short ranged and everything. You just got to feel sorry for Dolly falling from at least six stories straight up and just a smidge over, that doesn't look all that fun like the time Applejack face flopped multiple times trying to launch Rainbow Dash with that seesaw." Well this has been another Pinkie Pie Interruption.

"When I was a little filly and the sun was going down… my sisters and I would snuggle together and I'd never ever frown… we used to have so much fun, when I became a party of all. My sisters they are so wonderful, they could find no fault in me at all. Because I'm Pinkie the one who will always stand up tall… doo dee doo, doo, doo... till next time every pony!" Pinkie disappeared continuing to hum her favorite song which she modified the words for multiple times and faded from view like a ghost without a sound and she didn't use a Portation Popper, in fact some would say she could do any of the magic she can attach to her Party Products without needing the objects.

Others however would say she's just doing it all on the sugar she consumes alone within a day, just about everyone is right when it comes to Pinkie… she's so random.

()

Rainbow Dash didn't know where Pinkie kept going, but she probably was too busy at Sugar Cube Corner in Sugarcane Junction to stick around and watch her get her flank handed to her by someone who never attacked her. At least there was no more fluffy boppers to interfere in the real training, but she was doing more damage to herself then actually touching Dixie.

Dixie was like one of those scratchy voiced ninja ponies, just plain untouchable. At least Rainbow Dash was learning a lot of stuff that she could incorporate into tricks to show off for the Wonderbolts, of course that Stumbling Pony style of Karate hoof-to-hoof stuff had her stumped as it was hard to read what Dixie's next move would be.

"Um… I think you need to take a break you look to be tired and besides I promised all the little fillies cookies and I need to get started on that now. Hope we can do this again sometimes Ms. Dash and thank you for a wonderful session." Dixie wasn't even winded despite stumbling around like a drunken pony who didn't know up from down, she just took an honorable bow and started to pick her gear off.

Rainbow was kind of like Dolly except Dolly understood how to defend and when to strike. Dixie had much better sparring matches with Derpy as neither of them ever really took the offensive all that much and just tried to get under each other's guard with a single hit to call an end to the session or to go for a five minute break. Rainbow kept her on her hooves but the poor mare didn't seem to be getting the strategic side to the hoof-to-hoof lessons very well and was more in it for the physical aspects. At least Applebloom isn't as bad when it comes to training her blocking skills.

"Yeah, go ahead I'll pick myself up when I'm done getting air back into my lungs." Rainbow had never put up so much effort for so little effect, sure Rainbow was fast but Dixie was had quick reflexes that Dash just couldn't keep up with.

Rainbow laid her head on the mat and sighed, she was really beginning to believe everyone was right in saying she was at least bisexual in the town vote, the reason why is because she caught herself staring at Dixie's grey flank as she left. It's not like Rainbow hasn't stared at a colts flank before, she just didn't know what was considered intriguing about another pony's body except the cutie mark being a warning for some pony's having personality disorders. Dixie didn't have a personality disorder, but Rainbow noticed she had a lot of hobbies and was kind of like Fluttershy except twenty percent more social, active and heavily talented in multiple areas at one time.

Tired, Rainbow didn't know what she was going to do for the rest of the day, maybe she could bug Rarity or get Applejacks goat. If she went with Applejack then she could get yelled at angrily by her which was somewhat appealing for some reason as she was cute when she was mad. Getting up Rainbow Dash pulled her sweatband off and flew toward her home she really needed sleep because she was starting to think of Applejack, Pinkie and maybe even Fluttershy in a different light. She'd rather stay their friends then try anything like that, maybe she wasn't as into colts or stallions because of those bullies that picked on her when she was little. She should probably find a colt to be her friend that wasn't a complete jerk to even her out without going overboard with the relationship. There was no way that Rainbow Dash was going to fall in love; she would always be the cool adventurous high speed flying mare and eventual Wonderbolt.

So nope, she had no interest in Pinkie's butt, Applejacks muscles or Fluttershy's soft and cuddly personality... Rainbow Dash would spend the rest of her day with her head buried under her pillow screaming. She really needed to find a male to be friends with and only friends... wasn't there a male mailing Pegasus that came to town and got dragged off to the hospital?

Yeah that would work and she'd get to know him tomorrow, she could probably ask if he knows Dolly as any pony who delivers the mail to Ponyville would know her.

()

Celestia sat staring over the horizon as it was getting dark, she liked hearing those messages from Twilight and they were helping her sister so much. Now it was going to be hard to go a while without hearing from the purple pony she let toddle her way into her eternal heart. Twilight was the cutest little filly she had ever seen and it hurts a lot to watch them grow up and then eventually wither away, hopefully Twilight will have foals of her own that are just as cute. She wanted to be an aunt to a bunch of ponies that weren't snobbish for once, but that's what she gets for being royalty for eternity.

"Dolly…" Celestia said with a calm look on her face as she turned and went into her bed chambers as it was soon time for her sister to start raising the moon as she finished painting the sunset with her mind.

"We'll always be friends, even if you won't show yourself or even talk to me anymore." Celestia sighed as she lay down upon her bed to just simply think about things and eventually get some recreational sleep.

When she got that letter from Dolly her heart jumped and then fell flat to the floor at the news that someone was disrupting the mailing system. Not a single word of how she was doing, just a request to possibly have a chance at recruiting Twilight to go on a crusade against an unknown entity that is threatening pony kind, more specifically winged ponies that deliver the mail. And Dolly only sent her that letter because someone else asked her to which made Celestia feel a bitter pang of hurt in her heart.

Celestia wondered if maybe she should have offered Spitfire to help; she was the leader and face of the Wonderbolts. Or maybe she should have offered one of the higher echelons of the Guardian's to help, maybe even send her own royal guards. No, all that would have just made Dolly mad. She wanted to see Dolly and talk to her again, but being as busy as she was and how Dolly refused to show up whenever she did make a visit to Ponyville, it was rather disheartening that Dolly was avoiding her. Even when she got Dolly out of Ponyville for Luna's return she still hasn't seen even a single hair of that pony since the day she left.

Sure Celestia had the love of a lot of ponies, she just felt at a loss for why she didn't seem to have the love of one that she still considered a dear friend.

(End Chapter)

Hope I didn't miss anything in the editing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Hippolytus.

Spike the young purple dragon who was Twilights ever faithful companion was spending time over at Rarity's clothing boutique since Twilight was gone on a strange mission without him. Plus the reason why he was staying with Rarity was because she could feed him gems when she had the time to go find some.

The dragon wasn't complaining that he got to spend a lot of time with Rarity; she was his little heart's desire. Spike was going to be a gentleman about said desire because he was quite aware he was too young for her and it was a pipe dream at best. He'd be better off with having a crush on Sweetie Belle who had her own charm.

Rarity was like a beautiful gemstone to him, one that he covets despite the fact that he wasn't going to achieve it. However that didn't mean he wouldn't try to get the best for Rarity with whatever was within range of his meager abilities. He'd never let Rarity get near a guy that wouldn't treat her right.

Other than being entirely affectionate towards Rarity and helping her with her clothes making, he would actually enjoy spending the large amount of free time he had been given.

After a while of randomly wandering about, he saw what looked like an oddly distraught Rainbow Dash covering her head with a pillow while screaming some weird things. One of which sounded like 'get out of my head Pinkie'. Seconds later he saw a sad Pinkie walk by him without a word which confused him a bit.

Things were quiet around Ponyville and Spike was glad for a little downtime where he was free to do as he pleases, which was everything Rarity told him to do. He might not be her prince charming, but he was going to earn his special place in the heart of that wondrous unicorn.

Yawning it was beginning to become late in the evening, he wondered how well Twilight was fairing out there with that Dolly pony. He really didn't see a need for a mailing service when his magic could handle all of Twilights letters. He tended to not notice that not everyone could afford to ship things around magically and that sometimes the mail had to be delivered by hard work and determination.

Spike liked it when things were simple and quiet like this. He picked up a topaz gem from the ground and bit down into it, his teeth being strong enough to help him eat some of toughest minerals around. It brought up the reason why dragons sought wealth so much and why they were considered greedy. They ate riches and minerals on a daily basis for food.

If Spike really thought about it he could get a small hobby in carving gems into shapes for fun, profit and snacking purposes. In fact he just had the idea to carve Rarity's appearance on a particular gemstone, life couldn't be any better. But first he had to practice before he'd even think of ruining such a precious gem.

()

A pair of hidden eyes watched from its hiding place in a dark castle set atop of Mangora Mountain. It had felt when the Kobold had been destroyed. It also felt the Wereponies and Vamponies disappear from its senses having been restored to their normal forms. Mail ponies… it was always those damn mailing system ponies.

But soon its vengeance would come to pass as they were coming to it and even if that fool who thinks he's in charge fails to destroy them, it would be prepared to unleash its full might on those interlopers when it was finally free of its confines.

It would not be stopped again by lowly mailing service ponies!

()

They made their way northeast, not one of the three of them complained. Derpy was holding an injured Dolly on her back not minding that she was getting a bit of her blood on herself. Twilight was carrying the out and cold Trixie who fell asleep in quite a messed up childlike state. Twilight wasn't quite sure what brought that on in the first place but it must involve Dolly's blood spraying the ground when she was clawed by the Kobold.

Zecora just simply brought up the rear carrying Dolly's supplies and her own, she was still suspicious of Dolly because she refused to show her hidden gift. That gift was not a cutie mark or even her danger sensing spark. There was something more that Dolly was hiding, for all of her time she was just biding.

It was getting dark and in the distance they could see lights, they were on the outskirts of Fetlock Forest and moving into a swampy terrain which they treaded carefully through. It was all because Derpy believed in Dolly when she said she knew someone that would be able to help her injuries that they were even going this way.

Twilight once again checked a map with her lit horn keeping the surrounding area bright for them, there was nothing on it to mark anyone living out here and yet those lights weren't local phenomenon. This bears investigating and why did Dolly know of a settlement when she didn't, her maps were up to date and everything.

Shifting the sleeping Trixie on her back and looking to the darkening sky, Twilight sighed; as the three of them made way for the tiny village they were finally beginning to see form in front of them from out of nowhere.

Before they got to close two lights shined on them as they reached the outskirts of the village. In front of them are what appeared to be two cloaked griffins, by the look on their faces they weren't pleased to have visitors at this hour and they were both male. Twilight couldn't help but wonder what Griffins were doing out here or even why they had a village on the ground of all things, griffins tended to live in mountainous areas.

"Halt, who trots there?" They were shining their lanterns on the alert DERP members narrowing their eyes at them a bit. One took notice of the red coated mare laid out across the Derpy's back, his eyes softened a bit before narrowing them again.

Before either Twilight or even Derpy could say anything, the second guard spoke up. He was looking at Dolly's hair clamped down over the left side of her face with what appeared to be a small drop of blood dropping from it.

"Molting feathers, I guess it's true that the Warg's have been a bit more virulent lately, allow me to escort you to the village elder's home." The first guard looked mad with the second guard and was about to ask something when he was quickly quieted by the second guard throwing his front left talon around his friends beak.

"You are to keep to the patrol route so keep going until I get back." The second guard said to the first as he avoided saying any names. He turned and motioned for Derpy, Twilight and Zecora to follow him. While the other guard moved off to supposedly continue his patrol looking around warily while holding his lantern high.

Following the guard Twilight thought about asking what a Warg was because obviously he had the wrong idea about what caused Dolly's injuries.

"Um, excuse me sir but we haven't run into any of these Warg things you mentioned." The guard looked back on Twilight his pupils shrinking; he muttered something under his breath before he turned back to them. From what little Twilight could see his feathers were orange and his eyes were dark green he also didn't seem too heavily muscled for a griffin and there was something about him that tickled something at the back of Twilights mind.

"Then I need get back to my friend faster now, tell the elder what has happened to your group and he'll see to getting some healers on it. We've had a run of trouble lately and I respectfully ask that you stay out of it; it is our trouble to deal with. " The guard just ran off back to presumably meet up with his friend on patrol and a bit of confusion among the aware DERP members.

There were several structures built like what you'd see in ponyville, they were left outside a large building that seemed to have three floors. It was standing near the center among all the other structures which were in a square formation pointing inwards. There were a few signs to be read on a few of the buildings, right now they were just fine entering the building they were left outside of and getting a place to sleep. It was too dark to go sightseeing and they hopefully would find someone inside to patch up Dolly.

Zecora opened the door given the fact that Twilight and Derpy were busy carrying extra weight and let them pass into the building before she closed the door behind her and taking scope of the room in front of them. Apparently the elder's home was what some would consider a five star hotel given the reception area and the large female griffin behind the counter with equally large wings and golden feathers flowing throughout her grand form. The lower half of her body was hidden by the reception table; she was currently reading a book with a bored look on her face when she heard the door shut and looked up.

"Huh? Oh my goodness is that… HORUS we need some healers or at least one right now!" The golden feathered griffin with soft blue eyes yelled into a tube after pulling the cork from it, she put the cork back in before turning to address the group that just walked into the inn.

"Hmmmm… what's all the yelling about Marehute! If it's another injured 'night watch' guard then that'll make it the fifth time this week. Anyway I'm sending Luwi right on down so tell them to relax and keep as much blood in them as they can manage till he gets there." The voice or Horus as if it were was coming from a nearby box on the ceiling, it sounded very old; the Griffin that was sitting in front of them was obviously the oddly named Marehute who turned to them putting a sheepish smile on her beak. (Marehute is pronounced 'Mare-ah-who-tay'.)

"Sorry about that, the old crank has been so overworked lately. Who are you guys and what happened to Ms. Verance this time? I assume you also want to room here in the Chipotle inn." Her voice was calming and soothing. She sounded like a nice griffin and when she saw the confused look on their faces she sighed.

"Is this your first time here? Well I might be willing to give you guys a tour of our village first thing in the morning as not many equines or otherwise know about our village or even come through here often. Things are usually quiet around here in our sequestered part of the world." Then she turned around and start looking at the room keys, there were probably not that many rooms because there were about six keys in all. Choosing one she turned back to them and waited expectantly.

After a moment Twilight realized it was time to introduce herself and their group to her and stepped forward. Derpy was off to the side carefully laying Dolly on the floor paying extra attention to her back right leg as to not make it even worse for the mare. Zecora stayed quiet and moved over to check Dolly's pulse shaking her head that the pony wasn't waking up anytime soon this night, she went over too Twilight and carefully removed Trixie from her back. Twilight gave her a thankful smile and a thank you before turning back to finally talk to Marehute as she had been too busy watching what they were doing.

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and we're um… well our group is called DERP which means dependable and exceptionally reliable ponies or that's what Dolly calls us. Yes it's my first time here and I was wondering… How does Dolly know this place existed? How come it's not on any of the maps I have? Why are you griffins living so close to the ground? Why are you smiling like that and yes I would like to go on a tour of the village in the morning, do you have a library here? " Twilight was so full of questions and Derpy wanted to know an answer to at least few of them.

Marehute wondered why she hadn't noticed that she wasn't exactly a… looking at herself and remembering that the night guards wore thick protective cloaks it stood to reason why the purple pony with a violet and magenta highlight running through her dark blue mane hadn't notice something peculiar about her yet. The lower half of her body was behind the counter and thus she was prepared to step around the counter and correct Ms. Sparkle about what she was, because no one apparently warned the mare about her species yet.

She didn't get the chance when her friend a healer named Luwi arrived stumbling into the foyer in a flurry of feathers from the hallway leading to the staircase carrying a medical kit. That wasn't why Twilight, Zecora and Derpy started staring at him. They were staring at the blur feathered wings; the blue coat and a griffon with a cutie mark symbol on his pony rear end that was roll of bandages next to his coarse looking colt like tail. His pink eyes blinked warily at the starring crowd before he turned to the golden eagle headed Marehute.

"Okay I'm here, sorry it took so long Marehute who is it this time." Luwi had a rather strange inflection in his voice that was almost tenor, as he stood up on his talons and hooves he looked at the crowd of a gawking Pegasus, a curious unicorn and a zebra that seemed to be slightly befuddled by his entrance. His eyes trailed down to a familiar red coated winged pony known for coming in with injuries and sighed.

"Again, she really needs to learn to run from some of her problems instead of taking them all head on or else she'll keep coming back to us like this. At least she's not as bad off as last time she was dragged into our quaint village. So are you giving her the same room as always?" Luwi was halted by the fact that he was still receiving stares and that Marehute had a talon on her face sadly shaking her head.

"Luwi I don't think they've ever seen a Hippogriff before in their lives. What you just did was overloaded the poor dears by coming in like that, now see what you can do about patching up Danger Dodger there and I'll see to it that these ponies and… you're a zebra right? Anyway, I'll see to it they get some accommodations." Marehute watched as Luwi nodded to her while moving over to Dolly and started to pull bandages and stuff from his box, all the while clicking his beak in exasperation at Dolly's wounds.

"What's a hippogriff?" Twilight finally managed to ask as they were finally coming down from the shock of seeing a part pony griffon; one would think that such a thing impossible to even happen.

"I guess I have a lot of questions to answer then huh, well a hippogriff is part griffin and part pony. You sure are one curious mare hope you don't have a thing against Hippogriffs like some griffins do, sure we may be different but we aren't bad. Now as for all of your other questions Dolly knows of this place because once a long time ago she was delivering mail while taking any short term job she could find. She helped us out a lot not to mention started a mailing service here. Why we're so close to the ground is the same reason why we're not on any maps, we like to have some anonymity here in our village of Hippolytus. We're kept up to date on things by random travelers and strangers that come through here and I think you'll like meeting Simari tomorrow she sells and acquires books through mail order, but she's often a strange one to talk to. Alright here's the room you'll be using, number six Dolly's personal little hideaway. We serve salsa and chips in the morning at breakfast if you don't like spicy stuff you can ask me if we have anything else. Also if you are sickened by meat eating then I and others here will refrain from eating meat in front of you." Marehute at least had some new customers and frankly it was on the house if they were dragging poor Dolly in from whatever she got into this time, looked like she fought a single Warg but every pony knew those things travel in packs.

Twilight was hanging on her every word in wonderment about how such a thing could exist; she had to study them in a creepily excessive manner. Derpy however was the first to relax around them as if they were friends of Dolly then they were her friends too. Zecora looked perplexed as the mixing of pony and griffin should not be even vaguely possible, she was learning something new every day she spent in Dolly's company.

Walking around the counter Marehute showed her golden coat and that her tail end also pointed her out as being a hippogriff, her cutie mark was also visible for all to see. It was a bed with golden feathers sticking out of it.

"I make my own beds and I lie in them to test whether or not if their comfortable enough if you're wondering, plus it also represents my love of running an inn. So tell me what happened to Dolly, did she fight a dragon again? Or was it ogres this time? Just name a creature and then I'll give you the key to you room, you all look like you can use a good rest. I'll see if I can scoot a cloud over to make a shower for you in the morning." Marehute really wanted to know what Dolly got into this time.

"We we ran into a Kobold." Twilight saw an instantaneous look of glee cross the face of the golden hippogriff with a great smile on her beak, it reminded her of a certain Griffin in particular though it was just probably her imagination.

"Hah, he so owes me fifty bits now! I was right that she would be dealing with some form of magic the next time we saw her. Oh, sorry for the outburst, here is your key enjoy your stay at our humble Chipotle inn." Marehute smile to them as she moved back behind the counter and picked up her book to continue reading. She looked up to see that Twilight was still staring at her.

"Well go on and get some sleep. You guys look like you've had a long day; we'll talk in the morning. If you want my name I'm Marehute Gotfrieda and it's been nice meeting you." Marehute wasn't easily annoyed, but she knew they were staring because they were having a first encounter of the weird kind moment. She watched as Twilight nodded dumbly as she was still slightly freaked out by their being half ponies; Derpy walked up took the key and tapped her lightly across the face before getting her assistance with dragging Trixie up the stairs.

"What about Dolly?" Twilight queried looking to Luwi as he wrapped some bandages around the left side of her face.

"Go on, I'll bring Dolly to your room after I'm done. Hmmm… broken leg, Marahute you owe me twenty bits." Luwi was prodding Dolly carefully to get the full extent of her injuries, as they made for the stairs they could hear Marahute cursing under her breathe at having only acquired thirty bits in the betting pool.

While they were heading up the stairs Derpy realized that Marehute's last name was the same last name Gilda had. Now she understood why the griffin was a vegetarian and was trying to be friendly with ponies. She'd have to ask how Marehute was related to Gilda in the morning. After opening the door to their room they looked around inside and their jaws were left wide open, the décor wasn't impressive but there were several beds and a couch that looked to have an indent and happened to smell oddly like Dolly.

Twilight carefully removed her bags from her body and set them on the floor; she then followed up by removing Trixie's before levitating her into a bed and tucking her in. Zecora was removing Dolly's and her bags from herself and then carefully took to lying on her own bed, Marehute made some very nice beds.

Derpy shrugged off her own bag but didn't crawl into bed and just sat down on the couch after sniffing it a bit and Twilight looked to her and noticed the look on her face.

"Worried about Dolly? I'm surprised she managed to teleport without magic. I'm really curious to hear her explanation of how she did that or what caused that explosion, because I don't think balloons could actually do something like that." Twilight only got a nod and Derpy pulled out some muffin flavored candy from her bag. Twilight has never heard of muffin flavored candy before, the wrapping made it clear that it was. Derpy just popped it into her mouth and settled back as her mouth worked the candy over. Giving it some thought Derpy handed the wrapper over too Twilight to inspect.

Looking at the wrapper Twilight blinked owlishly at the inscription and who made the candy. Apparently one of the stores on their stint in Ponyville had apparently gotten some in stock and it was new stuff that Derpy was willing to try. She went after almost anything with muffin in its title.

Blueberry muffin flavored candy what would ponies come up with next? Sure Derpy knew it wasn't as great as a real muffin but she could taste a dry if flavorful crust as if she had muffin in her mouth. Ponyville also went through more muffins than any other place in pony kind, just for the very fact that Derpy lives there.

Eventually they all managed to get some sleep, only Twilight dozed off last wondering why Dolly always got this room and why didn't it sound as expensive as it looked? Was it free or did Dolly actually always pay for a room this large, it seemed very nice if Spartan like Dolly's house.

()

Fluttershy stared out at the stars, she was feeling very lonely in fact she hasn't seen her friends all day and if it weren't for the animals she tended to she would swear they were avoiding her. Luna was flying by when she noticed the sad mare on the edge of ponyville in a small cottage; a friendship opportunity was to be had.

Ditzy had led Luna on an exciting afternoon of building crashing before she had to move the moon across the sky while her sister slept, Ditzy was just another friend to add to her ever expanding list thanks to Derpy the mail delivering mare. She was beginning understand how to get more social and this was a step in the right direction for her, by actively seeking out friendship with this pink haired Pegasus.

Luna quickly became friends with shy mare offering her a small bit of night time friendship if she needed someone to talk to in the evenings when she was available and Fluttershy quietly accepted her kind offer. Fluttershy had troubles with going to people instead of them coming to her and maybe she could invite Luna to on a spa get together with Rarity, before she knew it she had already done so over a muffin and a cup of tea.

Luna despite her ever growing list of friends knew better then to just let any old pony on her list, she wanted real friends, some ponies she could trust and she knew she had met one of the kindest ponies to ever exist. She was going to stay on the good side of things and do make her sister proud and stay away from negative feelings or thoughts, much less negative influences.

()

A sunbeam hit Derpy's face and she slapped a hoof down over it instantly waking her up and looking out one of the two windows to their room, it was morning and Celestia was raising the sun for a whole new day. She really couldn't hear much movement except for the snoozing sound of every pony in the room and a zebra.

Turning to one of the beds she noticed a white mane poking out from under the covers, she instantly trotted over to that bed and threw her hooves around the lump in bed and gave it a tight hug.

"Yeah, yeah I'm glad to see you this morning too Derpy. But can you please stop hugging me your kind of aggravating my burns and I do have a broken leg you know" Dolly said lifting up her head where the only the right eye was visible as she had bandages cover the left side of her face. Dolly threw the covers off herself revealing that her back right leg was held in a wooden tightly wrapped splint. Her midsection had bandages wrapped around it for her back; it came with a soothing balm medication. Her minor scrapes and cuts were nothing to really worry about.

"You're awake." Derpy said carefully not trying to wake anyone else in the room.

"Yes, but I'm not the one you should be worried about, how's Tricks doing Muffin Queen?" Dolly got a really short story involving Trixie falling asleep next to her after having fallen out of the sky unceremoniously.

"Do you think I should wake her?" Derpy was afraid to do so, as she wondered how Trixie would be acting, would she be herself or would she be that little foal who sadly lost her mother in the as of yet unexplained incident.

"No, but if you wait a moment I'm sure Marehute will be in here to take requests for breakfast if you have any and she does do muffins. Wonder what I did to earn my stay here this time, it's almost like she's trying to find a reason for me not to pay her every time I come here, I swear that's why one of her daughters dislikes her so much. She's just too nice for her own good." As soon as she said that the hippogriff herself opened the door to their room and moved on in coming to check up on her guests. She was wearing an apron and had a notebook and pencil ready to take some requests but found only two of her guests were awake. Oh well, any other requests could come later.

"Well this time I made thirty bits because we bet on how you were coming into town. So yes I have a reason to give you your room this time. The last few times she came into town she did it on a hot air balloon, then there was the gopher thing coming right up in the middle of our fair village spooking everyone and there was that one time that you were about to just plain walk into town before that giant scorpion creature popped up out of the ground and attacked." Marehute was getting an interesting look from Derpy, which was curious and wanting to know more.

"The balloon was because my wings were messed up and I was missing quite a few feathers that day and I had to deliver to your village, the gophers were starting an underground mail destroying racket that I had to break up and the scorpion thing could happen to anyone." Dolly really didn't know whether or not a giant scorpion would pop up out of the ground underneath someone at random, but she was sure it was a onetime thing that could in fact happen to anyone.

"Very well then, what do you guys want for breakfast other than our usual chip and healthy portion salsa pot of the morning?" Marahute's attention was grabbed by Derpy frantically waving a hoof at her.

"Muf… fins…" Derpy stressed each part of the word and moved her front hooves from one spot to another and then looked at Marahute pleadingly.

"Do you mind if the muffins are covered in hot sauce? I make some sweet cornbread muffins and the hot sauce makes it even more delicious." Marehute got a wide broad smile like no other from Derpy, she was set for the day and she wouldn't have to resort to her candy, coffee mix or instant muffins.

"Do you want anything for your morning glory to eat Dolly? By the way, the showers are prepped this time." Marehute didn't want to leave without giving Dolly a chance to order something special for breakfast.

"Have you improved the spicy and zest of your sauces I want my own little dipping bowl with the hottest salsa you got." Dolly saw the smile on Marehute's face as she scribbled down their requests and left the room.

"Ugh where am I…" Trixie slowly lifter her head up and looked around blearily and caught sight of a patched up Dolly and an up and about Derpy who didn't seem very coordinated at the moment tripped over a chair that wasn't in the middle of the room a second ago.

"Welcome back to sanity and to the village called Hippolytus, Tricks. I visit every now and then, sometimes under bizarre circumstances. We are going to discuss your mother sooner or later Tricks because I can't have you flipping out on me when things get dangerous. Derpy could you wake up Zecora and Twilight, then help me bathe?" While Dolly was getting carefully out of bed making sure not to set her right hind leg down, Trixie watched as Derpy moved to shake Twilight and Zecora awake.

The waking and confounded Trixie couldn't remember much of what happened yesterday after the Kobold attacked but she remember it claw at Dolly's face then nothing. Well maybe not nothing, she still could recall a flash of launching a fireworks spell directly into the things face. For once she had been powerful against a scary monster and she couldn't even remember what else she did so she could tell a story about how she and her friends bravely defeated it. Wait; did she just seriously consider Twilight as one of her friends? Plus what did Dolly mean about her mother, what did she know about that day?

()

The breakfast table was a rather quiet affair as the DERP group looked upon several injured bandaged hippogriffs, a few regular griffins, uninjured hippogriffs and two uninjured female Pegasus ponies with a nail cutie mark and the other a hammer cutie mark.

Marehute came in and set down several trays full of food for whoever wanted any and then she made her way over to Dolly and Derpy to give them their special orders. After that she dropped off a batch of chips for all of them with a large bowl of salsa for their personal use. As soon as Derpy bit into her first cornbread muffin her wings shot straight out and became stiff in front of everyone, she blushed slightly.

Twilight tested the salsa and her eyes watered before she spat out a stream of fire, causing Dolly to look at her strangely as she currently had the hottest salsa in the inn and wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. If Twilight couldn't handle the mild flavoring what could she handle? Dolly was pretty sure using some liquid rainbow as part of a salsa recipe would destroy Twilights ability to taste anything for days on end.

()

As promised Marehute was showing them around the village starting with the Inn being near the center of the large square formation their village made up, all the buildings were connected to the outer wall circling the village. They didn't have any gates but they usually have two entrances guarded well enough that they didn't need them.

Hippolytus village was simply like any other settlement. It had a small restaurant, a professional blacksmith, its one inn, its small special stores that you couldn't find anywhere else and a few shops for everyday needs. The only thing that was different was the locals who were all vastly different from each other and coexisting peacefully as they mingled.

"So where's the fire this time Marehute?" Dolly asked out of the blue knowing for sure that Marehute and the village was in some kind of trouble given they had injured guards at the breakfast table.

"Oh that, yeah that's nothing for you to concern yourself with we're perfectly fine Dolly. We have just a slight wild, aggressive and really gruesome problem, but it's nothing to worry about honestly. Now how about we go meet Simari? You haven't met anything like her before Dolly I guarantee it." Marehute didn't sound convincing to Dolly and she knew she didn't sound convincing to herself. This Simari person was something new and it would undoubtedly be an interesting distraction.

So Dolly thought why not go along with it, that is until it becomes too hard for Marehute to ignore the problem; that was obviously about Wargs as described by their acronym, before asking her for help? Maybe it was the fact that villagers were trying to be self sufficient with their problems? She could understand that but outside help is nothing to sneeze at especially considering a particular building she saw in the corner of her eye that looked wrecked.

They made their way to see the newest resident of Hippolytus; so that they'd all start out on the same page with Dolly in seeing what new things the village had to offer.

At this point in time everyone in the group wanted to get Dolly alone to have a chat with her and they all had their reasons.

Marehute who was leading them to Simari's shop wanted to ask for help but she really didn't want Dolly to involve herself as she could get hurt. Twilight wanted to corner Dolly on how she caused an explosion, much less survived it and what did it have to do with the party items she obviously got from Pinkie Pie. Zecora wanted to corner her about her still unexplained special gift, she was wary of those who were given special lifts. The distraught and sullen Trixie wanted to know what happened to her and what did it have to do with her mother. Derpy was the least troubling pony that wanted a discussion with Dolly; she just wanted to have stronger bonds with her friend.

As they walked up to a building it had the sign above it that said, "Simari's books and riddles, riddles are always free." It caused every pony there to get curious about the oval shaped sign and it had Twilights interest in spades.

"Free riddles? What's that all about?" Twilight saw their tour guide smile quite a bit and she tapped the bottom of her beak.

"I think it's better for you to find out for yourself." With that Marehute opened the door to the shop and they walked inside, a bell sound was heard and something shuffled behind the counter that was very distant from the entrance.

"The more of them you take the more of them you leave behind, what are they?" A female voice spoke up with a raspy feminine chill.

"Is it steps?" Derpy said answering the voice behind the counter.

"CORRECT, come on in! What has a mouth and never speaks? What has a head but never weeps? What has a bed but never sleeps? Bonus points if you know where one happens to babble." What popped up from behind the counter was not a hippogriff, griffin or a pony. It was a strange large cat like creature with a smiling face; its body was like that of a lion and its face was like that of a smaller kind of cat being framed by an odd looking Egyptian headdress with straight black hair sticking out from under it.

This was obviously Simari and her tail flicked about lazily as she set her chin in her paws staring at her new guests and wondered if they'd get this one. Zecora move forward as she knew the answer, but she was curious as to what this creature was.

"I know the answer that you do seek, a river is of which you do speak. Where they babble is at brooks, do you read a lot of books?" Zecora looked around the store, the shelves were lined with all kinds of books, Twilight was already acting like a foal in a candy store the only thing keeping her rooted was the stranger creature she was looking curiously at right now.

"CORRECT and yes I do! Consider this a fact zebra, I like you. What goes up and down but never moves?" Before anyone could answer Marehute sighed and interrupted the gleeful riddle firing cat thing.

"Simari, stop it with the riddles already" Marehute saw the hurt look on Simari's face and she gave another sigh "fine, the answer is stairs, happy now?"

"CORRECT! I am most assuredly in the signs of positive emotions friend thanks for playing." Simari looked to Twilight who wandered up and examined her face.

"What are you?" Twilight was ever curious as was the friendly and accepting Trixie, but the magician would never let anyone know that.

"To get that, you are going to have to answer one of my riddles. I also want to hear your names too by the way. What four letter sport begins with a T?" Simari was grinning up a storm; her species loved making people answer riddles.

"But no sport begins with the letter T and is four letters short, unless it was something someone just made up." Twilight said not quite understand the riddle.

"Actually there is and Derpy knows all too well but I'm taking this one Ms Sparkle, the answer is Golf." Dolly said with a flat if slightly amused face and a giggle erupted from Simari. She seemed kind of excited about sharing her riddles with others as she clapped her paws several times.

"CORRECT! My name is Simari Rodtle and I'm a sphinx. We're a race of riddle slingers like no other, we always seek knowledge, can use magic and we just happen to make good library owners. Now there are only two of you who haven't answered a riddle and I still want you to be involved in the fun, plus my riddles are always free. What is fragile and breaks as soon as you speak of it?" Simari was addressing Trixie this time with a coy smile on her face and Twilight felt kind of bummed that she was going last like all those times when she was a young filly, but she kept her tongue. Trixie gave it a small amount of thought; with all the talking and boasting she did it was rather easy to figure out.

"The answer is 'silence'." Trixie felt proud of herself for knowing this one, but then she realized it was a rather simple if glaringly obvious riddle. Twilight however didn't get it until Trixie answered it; she was always stumped easily on riddles or enigmas that you can't study with science.

"CORRECT! Now which riddle should I give you? How about a tough one? Common sense, how do you spell it?" Oh Simari knew of Twilights type, if she was right this would stump the bookish looking pony who was enamored with her wide selection and it would definitely amuse her other guests to her combination book shop and library.

"That's supposed to be hard? It's C O M M O N S E N S E; I don't see what so hard about it." Twilight suddenly heard Derpy and Trixie snickering. Twilight looked to see Zecora and Dolly smiling slightly and became confused as to why Marehute burst out laughing.

"You're wrong." Simari said with an amused look on her face, she'd have to switch to another riddle before Twilight figured out the first one. She was a very charismatic creature, which added to the charm of her constant riddles.

"What, but you asked me to spell it!" Twilight didn't understand why the others were laughing or why Simari said she got it wrong, but Simari's next words confused her even more.

"Exactly and since you failed to spell 'IT' correctly, I guess it's time for a physical challenge instead as to not tax your brain so hard. Stick out your tongue and touch your forehead." Simari saw the amusement beginning to grow on everyone else's face in the shop.

"But that's physically impossible no one can touch their forehead with their own tongue! Well except maybe Pinkie and I'm not even sure how she does that. What makes you think I can? And I did spell it right." Twilight found herself the focus of another round of laughter, this time Dolly and Zecora joined in chuckling a bit.

"What, but it is impossible! Why are you laughing at me like that?" Twilight Sparkle started to think she was having a nightmare until Derpy calmed everyone down. Derpy didn't want Twilight to be sad, so she helped her by drawing attention away from her.

Carefully Derpy slowly stuck her tongue out of her mouth and she gained this wall eyed expression making her look entirely silly when she slowly placed her left hoof on her head and gave a little twirl on her hinds legs before stopping and continuing to do the physical challenge without trouble. Twilight for one didn't realize until too late that Derpy was doing exactly what Simari said to do and threw a hoof to her own face while gagging from her own stupidity thus sticking her own tongue out and finishing the physical challenge by accident.

"I… T…" Twilight said slowly through the hoof on her face and Simari chuckled slightly.

"Both of you are, CORRECT! Now let's see if I can give you a book to make up for humiliating you, look anywhere in my shop it's my treat as an apology for being rude to such a prospective customer and as a sign of good of faith that we can still be friends." As soon as she finished saying that Simari saw Twilight brighten up considerably. The purple mare started looking around distracted by the seven large shelves of books. All the books were unique; the mare was in candy land where any pony else was concerned.

Marehute decided to continue the tour and leave Twilight to Simari; she wouldn't be mean anymore to Twilight as she was just poking a little fun at the overly analytical bookish type, it was kind of strange how Simari tended to know their type whenever they pop up in her store as rare as visitors are to Hippolytus. They made their way to a building that had a garage sort of feel with one large opening leading into the building and looking inside they could see two creatures that looked something vaguely like ponies.

"Jet and Flot the Sam siblings… Marehute are you trying to overload my team before the day is out?" Dolly didn't have anything against the two it's just that they might weird a pony out with their strange appearance.

"Somebody call our names?" What was standing before them caused Trixie, Zecora and Derpy balked at the sight before them and they thought hippogriffs looked weird.

In front of them on the right was a sea green colt, with a sea blue mane and turquoise eyes the strange thing about him was that he had gills on his neck, he was covered in scales and the ends of his hooves splayed outward like slightly looking to be webbed without any definable toes. His cutie mark was of a magnifying glass on a piece of seaweed.

Next to him was a mare with a dark purple curly mane that went halfway down her neck, a dark blue coat and the hind half of her body was that of a fish's tail making her look like a seal except she actually had two normal hooves instead of flippers for her front half. Her mark was of a treasure chest with a question mark sticking out of it.

There garage like building had a lot on display, strange odds and ends as strange as the people selling them, both were smiling as Dolly introduced them.

"Flot is the pony you go to for buying something, don't call attention to the fact that she's part fish as she doesn't like that. Jet is the person you go to for information about the object at hoof for what it is and where it was found. They are treasure divers and oddity collectors. I'm not sure what you'd call Jet, but Flot is definitely a classic hippocamp by appearance. They were in fact born at around the same time and neither of them are exactly sea ponies though, as sea ponies aren't known for being able to survive very well out of the water unlike these two." Dolly explained them without an ounce of interest in her voice as she gave one glance around the sundries stand, they had nothing interesting today.

"Dolly you were always one that was hard to please, I can already tell there's nothing here that catches your fancy. We even have some old zebra stuff we recently drudged up; don't you have some kind of archeology thing going for yourself? Aren't you even the slight bit curious where this stuff came from?" Jet received his answer in a disinterested stare from Dolly and he sighed, she never took very much interest in him or their stand. Someone else most certainly did though as Zecora was poking over the zebra related stuff to make sure none of it was bad juju. Derpy was looking over a few muffin shaped trinkets in her own little world.

"Only when it involves ancient mail or long lost deliveries Jet, I'm going to see if the blacksmith is up yet." Dolly had an idea that she was going to need more then Pinkie's magical armaments and had a few bits to spare on a weapon for herself.

"You should really try finding a local girl who likes frogs Jet instead of trying to impress someone you have no chance with in any number of alternate universes." Flot said to her brother in a rather calm manner causing him to get teary eyed as she patted him softly on the head in a soothing manner with one of her two hooves.

Marehute looked on as Derpy and Zecora were taking intrigue in the shop, then she turned to Trixie who looked at her with a raised brow and a suspicious look in her eyes.

"Got anything that'll keep me busy? Don't think I haven't noticed what you are doing." Trixie noticed she was trying to get Dolly alone and called Marehute on it. Trixie might have a slight case of amnesia but she wasn't stupid. Something was going on with the golden hippogriff and while she was entertained with the many wondrous things of Hippolytus, it was just like any other place around to her. The village just had its own special charm and she wanted to know why the golden feathered hybrid was trying to get Dolly alone. For once Trixie actually felt protective of some pony; specifically an injured mare, which is something she really hasn't felt in a long time.

"Look it's just something I want to ask of her alone. We could really use her input on this before she continues on with whatever it is you guys are doing, but until then please relax and enjoy what meager offerings our village has, maybe I can show you the great vegetable farming land nearby. Hippolytus specializes in salsa making and peppers, we sell jars of salsa across Equestria through mail order, but lately we haven't been able to get the mail anywhere because of a small problem. " Marehute was a peaceful being; she didn't have a vicious bone in her body unless it involved one of her three hatchlings getting hurt out there wandering the world. They were about all she had left other then the Chipotle Inn and the friendly village goers who supported her. She was tapping her talons together nervously.

"And that would be?" The nosey and persnickety Trixie asked having not heard of them yet but she was about to.

"Wargs, they are ghastly beasts that seem like a cross of a warthog and wolf only three times meaner by a cube exponential. In the ancient history of the lands of Equestria some species of green creature went extinct trying to tame them, they are definitely not friendly and lately they've been attacking our village. I don't know why though." Marehute kept her tone soft, as if that made all the sense in the world as to what she wanted from Dolly.

"And this concerns me the wonderful and enchanting Trixie, why?" Trixie was finally able to get haughty for the first time in what felt like a long time, but it didn't sound quite as haughty when she said it.

"Huh, when did Dolly start outsourcing? Anyway, you should be concerned if you're a true friend of hers as this is mailing related business and the mailing office here was hit hard. Don't you know what Dolly does to someone who messes with the mail and she's within range to do something about it? I actually want to try and talk her out of whatever it is she's already planning, because I'm worried she might hurt herself." Marehute had a disbelieving look on her face as she read Trixie's own that said she didn't care as much about the mail like Dolly did, but there was a curious raised brow about the true friend line and stopping Dolly from hurting herself .

Marehute really needed to talk Dolly out of whatever crazy course of action that was to soon follow, because undoubtedly Dolly already knew the mail has stopped coming through here and knowing her…

()

"Can you make me what I want?" Dolly was standing with the blacksmith as he looked at her through his narrowed eyes.

"You're going to get involved aren't you?" The Blacksmith was an average gruff griffin with green and red alternating feathers, he knew of Dolly and seen her handle some rather bizarre situations, but even then at those times she was at the top of her game when she got into those fights.

"Since when have I not done something in the name of mail delivery? These Wargs are obviously a part of what is disrupting the mailing system throughout pony society and thus someone has earned my ire. THEN YES, besides I'm a paying customer and you are obligated to make what I want right?" Dolly said with a sickly looking smile crossing her face.

"Excuse me while I think that injuring yourself even more isn't going to help anyone and since I know you, I'm throwing in some armored hoof bracers for free. I'm not going to let you have what you ordered otherwise unless you take them for you own good." The griffin stood on his hind legs crossing his talons and stared down at Dolly who reach up with a hoof and slowly pulled him down to her eye level where she put both her hooves on his beak and slammed his chin into the ground before lifting his face back to her eye level.

"THAT… is rather acceptable, thank you. Also if you think just because I have a broken leg, can't use my left eye and have slight still healing puncture wound in my left flank at the moment that I can't rip you in half, you are sorely mistaken. Don't treat me like an invalid I know my limits as to when I can or can't fight, get it." The way Dolly's grey eye looked into the blacksmiths, it caused him to wince and nod pathetically.

"Get on it then, I'm going to need this at the soonest convenience and will pay you extra accordingly for your swift speed and how well your craft is, this is for more than just dealing with the local beast problem and I bet it will get a lot of use." Dolly stayed for a few moments to get some measurements for her forward hooves for her bracers from the blacksmith.

After he was done with the measurements she tossed her mane; that was recently cleaned of blood, to cover the bandages around the left side of her face thankful that Luwi didn't have to do anything to it except clean out the blood when he was patching her up and trotted away from the Blacksmith.

This situation was much bigger then Dolly previously thought. Powerful anti flight magic, a summoned creature that was known as a Kobold and what she now suspected was an outside force controlling the Wargs to attack this small village she had connections with. The mailing office in this village looked evacuated and almost completely ruined with claw marks littering its tattered ruins of what was once a mail office. It wasn't a coincidence that the mailing office looked to be the first building that was destroyed; Dolly had some scouting to do.

()

As Marehute and Trixie sat talking in the Chipotle inns foyer, Twilight walked in and looked between the two as Trixie was on the verge of ending the conversation anyway. It didn't seem like they were fighting and Marehute seemed just worried.

"And I call dibs on talking with her first! If you have a problem with that take it up after I'm done finding out what happened to me. Though it does trouble me that you think she would be so quick to get herself hurt again, I'm sure she'll wait till she's properly healed." Trixie said not noticing Twilight with a floating book moving up behind her.

"Who is it that you want to talk to Trixie?" At the sound of Twilights voice Trixie jumped and fell on her face causing her hat to flop down into it before she shoved it back into position with a hoof and stood up glaring at Twilight.

"Can you not sneak up on me please, honestly Twilight you are so annoying and… why are you smiling at me!" Trixie got her answer as Twilight brought the book up to her face. Twilight after witnessing Trixie's breakdown actually didn't care if Trixie was combative anymore, she was determined to help the mare and be her friend. Thus she found an interesting book that might be up Trixie's alley.

"Because I was wondering if you wanted to read this book with me." Twilight wanted to actually get to know Trixie. Thus far she knew Trixie's favorite color, food and plenty of other stuff she really didn't need to know about when she got into a verbal war with the magician. Upon looking at the title and author of the book instead of getting combative and putting Twilight down or getting angry with her, Trixie just burst into tears and ran away . This startled Twilight into action and she went after her to find out why she reacted so poorly to a book about magic with an author named Magnolia Magnifico.

Marehute didn't know why Trixie did that, but she knew that at least the mare cared about Dolly in some fashion to believe she wouldn't hurt herself. It was only the fact that the hippogriff knew better as Dolly doesn't stop when someone stops the mail, she'd do things from beyond the grave if she had to or even defy death itself to fix things.

A few minutes later Derpy trotted in and looked expectantly to Marehute with a smile and her eyes going into their outward wall setting.

"Can I get the recipe for those muffins I had this morning, they were sweet and spicy at the same time like cinnamon rolls. Also have you seen Dolly or do you know something about her that you could tell me? Or do you want to talk about yourself I'm always good with listening to any pony's problems." Derpy's cute smile was affecting Marehute quite a bit; as it was ridiculously infectious and she couldn't help but smile at the Pegasus for she was so adorable. Marehute wondered if she worked with Dolly considering she carried a mail bag, though she didn't seem like the rough and tumble type Dolly was. Thus they started talking a little about themselves, about muffins and some dreams they have.

()

Rarity felt like the world had gone from fabulous to drab despite the fact that her shop was doing better business than ever, everything just seemed so slow. She couldn't put a hoof on it, she was sure it had to do with Twilight being away from Ponyville on some kind of adventure with that ruffian Dolly. She didn't know how a mare could stand to have their mane so short and not styled, not to mention it was curious to whether or not she dyed her tail or mane differing colors or not.

Maybe it was the adventures she got dragged into. Sure there was a lot of dirt, grime and other things to complain about, but that was the entire point though and it was always exciting to deal with strange and new things. Rarity just didn't feel like she was seeing any of her other friends and wanted to do something other than make dresses all day.

The chaos marked crusaders and their newest member were of some interest but she didn't think she had it in her to pal around with the little fillies with how her temper could burn out of control, plus they were stressful to be around making her wonder if she ever wanted to have a foal herself. There was Dixie; who has been keeping them under control somehow, but the dear didn't really care much about dresses and quite frankly Rarity was jealous of Dixie's wide range of expertise. Dixie could do cooking, sewing, foal rearing, not delivering the junk mail while keeping her job, has expert knowledge of karate and was even knowledgeable in the ways of construction when it suited her after that nasty incident with Ditzy Doo looking for her camping gear. It was strange that the talented mare didn't have a colt in her life yet with all the stuff she was good at.

Rarity just didn't know what to do, she was into appearances but there was no one to make appearances for. Well, except maybe spike who acted strange around her whenever she talked to him. Speaking of the dragon what was he doing right now? It was short notice that Twilight left him to her and Spike simply loved gems, plus she can find gems easily as to feed the growing little guy.

Upon looking in on Spike her eyes widened at the assortment of little statuettes Spike had going, they started from what looked like some poor dying creatures to somewhat decent if very blocky looking ponies. She saw he was gnawing on the gems in a specific way to give them shape, her heart became aflutter as she finally had something to do and helping Spike with whatever project he had going on was just the thing to get her creative juices flowing full force again. Rarity was an artist of cloth and stitch but who says that was the only art she did, she drew diagrams for dresses, she weaved baskets during the yearly winter wrap up and she knew how to sculpt tree limbs. She had a flair for more than just clothing and maybe she could teach Spike to have such flair as well.

"Spike do you need some help darling, I'm awfully bored and need something to do." Upon hearing her voice it caused Spike to freeze up instantly, his crush was watching him sculpt pony statues it was a good thing she hasn't noticed him trying to sculpt a statue of her yet or that the statues were to horrible to recognize as an attempt at carving a unicorn out of a solid gem with his teeth.

()

Zecora exited Jet and Flot's sundries shop with only a single trinket.

It was nice to know where they got it from and how they came across such a rare find, she was giddy to not leave this thing behind. She found a small statue that reminded her of home, before she left and began to roam. Pony folk and others strange things weren't all really so bad, at first she had felt alone and sad. Traveling was what she set out to do in the first place and see what life brings, but her home would always be in that forest ever free and filled with wild things. Never has she experience such treasure and bliss, there was so much this trip had to offer and miss.

Zecora looked at her purchase she held in her hoof, it was a real special zebra statue of that she made no goof. It is said to prevent death of those who need to live the most, for those who are friendly and never boast. Simple black and white carved wood was this thing, something about the statue just made Zecora's heart sing. She keeps it safely in her bag; she could not even feel it sag.

With that the zebra made her way back for the hotel wondering where everyone else was, she figured she might talk to a local or two in the hotel. The village wasn't large and it was quaint for its size and square shape, the zebra actually enjoyed the atmosphere as it still seemed wild with the untamed weather and surrounding nature. Zecora wanted to come back for a vacation just to sample the delicacy that was the villages many flavors of salsa.

()

Somewhere in the world some crazy ninja ponies were getting the snot bucked out of them and their demon possessed bodies, not that it mattered to Ditzy who was actively taking a larger role in the construction project with Luna's help. Who had time to wonder about a continuous chain of noodle incidents that incidentally involved the world's sleepiest mailing pony?

"Okay let's try installing some metal bars in the walls this time; I think that will work better than making the walls several feet thicker or out of solid redwood." Luna was enjoying herself, who knew playing with building blocks when she was still only two hundred years old would come back to help her in making buildings with better structural integrity. Ditzy Doo was the most amazing non goddess level pony Luna has ever met to have survived everything she put her body through.

As they were setting up the latest attempt at Ditzy proof walls, Luna moved over to Ditzy looking slightly shy about what she was about to ask. She had Ditzy's full attention and though she was weird Luna was sure there were ponies even weirder than her.

"Um Ditzy, if you wouldn't mind could we; after we're done wrecking buildings, go to a spa together with a two other mares. If you're worried about money, I'm paying, though you don't have to go if you don't want to." Fluttershy was going to the spa with her friend Rarity and gave an invite to Luna who also wanted to bring a friend of her own, and she watched as Ditzy had a thoughtful look on her face or what some ponies might barely consider thoughtful, otherwise it was a rather maniacal looking smile.

Ditzy wasn't into dolling up or being glamorous, though that wasn't entirely what spa's were all about. Luna was asking her for a relaxing afternoon and she was paying for the both of them so why not, she could probably find something at the spa that wasn't cringe worthy to her sensibilities as a pony that lived camping outdoors most of her life and was bent on being as abnormal as possible.

"Rutabaga, I'd be cabbage to!" Ditzy said with a crossed eyed somewhat cheery expression on her face while nodding her head, Luna gave her a happy hug with a quick 'thank you'.

After Luna managed to settle down they sat to watch as the construction crew ponies tried to construct reinforced walls with steel bars inside of the wood to Princess Luna's specifications.

(End Chapter)


	5. Chapter 5

Author: I'm beginning to feel my imagination flow being blocked by beavers building a wooden block there; my writing will take a hit as a side effect but I'm used to it.

Chapter 5: Distracted.

As the day went on Derpy was wondering where Dolly got to. She had finished her conversation with Marehute with a promise to talk some more, afterwards she wandered up the stairs of the inn, listening as they creaked slightly under her weight. When she got to the upstairs hallway she saw Twilight standing outside the door to their room talking to it.

Apparently Trixie had dashed into their room and locked the door, Derpy hadn't a clue what was going on but she was sure it had to do with the book sticking out of Twilights bag that was about magic. Derpy was going to say something about the crying Trixie situation but Zecora trotted up to her humming happily distracting her. Zecora seeing Twilight was busy with trying to get into their room turned around and happily hummed as she trotted away followed by a curious Derpy, how can she be so happy with everything that's going on? The group seemed to be falling apart in front of her and she didn't know how everyone ended up the way they did, Trixie was distraught over something, Zecora was too cheerful to be normal, Twilight had been humiliated earlier this morning and it wasn't any surprise that Dolly disappeared to who knows where.

()

Dolly was fluttering about as well as she could on her slightly singed wings, her back may have taken the brunt of the incendiary balloons and she was luckily not paraplegic with the C Four getting sprayed everywhere. She could still flutter through the air sticking close to the ground in case her wings failed her, as she spotted Mangora Mountain her wings snapped to her side against her will. After landing carefully on her three legs she backed up a few feet; staying off her broken leg, until her wings were once again working.

Dolly looked at the mountain before her in the distance thinking of the smart bastard who made it impossible for winged creatures to simply fly up and stop whatever was going on too easily. This being or whatever it was had a pretty good set up for defensible territory, probably used the Mangora Mountain Orb Weavers as a natural deterrent, not to mention how cold it was up there and what all else that would be in the way.

Looking at this side of the mountain she knew she wouldn't be climbing it from here, she turned back and started heading back for Hippolytus, they'd need to pick up some special gear for traversing the mountain because whatever had taken over the Wargs was not just going to let them waltz on up the mountain without a fight.

Given that her head wasn't a constant throbbing migraine from constant danger, she was able to sense the creature before it could sneak up and pounce on her and its danger was that of a minor threat being moved by a humongous threat or so her aching head told her. The ugly beast was about half the size of a manticore, quite frankly Dolly was glad that she could still fly well enough to get into a tree, she didn't feel like getting into a scrap right now.

The one creature roared and its solid red glowing eyes narrowed up at her in apparent anger that it missed by lunging out at thin air. Its fangs and tusks were thick and slightly brown from the blood that had dried on it, its fur was a dirty and mottled brown never having been washed, its smell even from Dolly's position ten feet off the ground in a tree was horrid like rotting flesh and it wasn't normal at all.

There was only one Warg here and they never traveled alone, ever. Staring at the creature with her right eye she had an idea as to what this was all about.

"Know this, I'm coming for you and there is nothing you can do to stop me. You've messed with the wrong mailing system whoever you are; this is one pony you shouldn't have gotten angry buster and no amount of might and magic will put me down till I'm sure you won't mess with my friends and or our mailing services again." Dolly was sure the message got through to whoever was controlling the warg, its eyes slowly stopped glowing and turned a dull yellow, the warg looked confused for a moment before it shot off looking for its own kind.

Dolly had a smug smirk on her lips. Sure it was going to be hell reaching whoever did all this and it was going to undoubtedly be more dangerous than the Kobold, she liked a good challenge.

Honestly the Kobold caught Dolly by surprise, not to mention that it was armed and armored, but they handled it well enough without any permanent damage and possibly minor scarring that could be fixed with healing magic from a professional.

Dolly was ready to deal with anything; she knew what her current team was capable of and they'd do well to remember what they themselves were capable of, hopefully Trixie was in a good mood for a pep talk or what Dolly thought amounted to a pep talk and she was on her way back to Hippolytus to pick up her order from the blacksmith.

()

That creature grey coated with black and white hair thought it was so smart, it couldn't be stopped and the mail would falter, the world will be silenced! There would be no more communication! No more flying! It would not be defeated, though it was unsure how the creature knew it was controlling the warg, it would be more careful in the future. It wasn't powerful enough yet to remember its name yet.

It did wonder how the ninja ponies it had under its control were quickly losing to a single mail delivery pony that seemed to have a narcolepsy problems, that one fool still thought he was running the show and that would change when the time was right.

()

Dixie was having a good morning as she made her way to Sugar Cube Corner, flapping her wings gently she set down in front of the store and wandered in, she turned to the kitchen area hearing some noises come from in there.

"Pinkie, are you in here?" Wandering into the store Dixie noticed Pinkie stirring a large bubbling pot with a blue fruity smelling liquid inside of it, she looked up at Dixie eyes wide that she had been caught brewing this stuff and it was a good thing people always compared it to normal punch or else every single pony would know what this stuff actually was.

"Um could you hold that thought for a teensy weensy little moment Dixie? I've got to pour this stuff into some bottles before it's too late." Moving away from the pot Pinkie came back with what looked like a bunch of funnels and she started place several glass bottles down each with a funnel inside.

She then carefully poured the liquid from the pot into each bottle, after she was done pouring out all the liquid she corked the bottles and then placed them on the counter before turning to Dixie.

"Hi Dixie, what brings you here…" Pinkie seemed kind of sheepish to be caught in the middle of mixing some special drinks for the construction ponies in Canterlot, special order by Celestia herself as Ditzy was causing and promptly fixing as many injuries as she made. Celestia was going to call a halt to the project, one reason was that the construction ponies needed a break, the second being her sister had a play date with Ditzy Doo of all people and they were coming into ponyville early in the evening for a nice visit to the spa.

()

"Another Pinkie Pie interruption… wait a minute, I'm interrupting myself. Oh this is so silly. Look at me I'm all frozen in time and space and stuff, I wonder if I draw on my face with a marker will I have a mustache or will it disappear when time restarts." Pinkie was standing in front of the grayed background with herself and Dixie; she had a smile on her face as she pulled out a marker.

"Well there's only one way to find out before I get to why I'm interrupting myself which is quite hard to do as there shouldn't be two of me existing at one time. Then again it has happened before when I got stuck on a random time traveling adventure or one of those many world saving paradoxes I have going. Those are always fun and a blast like a party." Of course the giggling Pinkie would do this there is no other way to get her curious mind off of something until she's managed to accomplish it in some fashion. She took out a black marker and started drawing a thick hanging mustache on her face, before she took out a remote and hit it twice. The first press changed the background to a black screen and the second put up a three dimensional representation of a bottle filled with blue liquid.

"While not exactly a Pinkie Pie product, but it is something I sell and I consider it special product zero zero three. It is called a GAG healing potion! Drink an entire bottle of this stuff and it will cure you of exhaustion, it'll restore a Unicorns magical potential to full and injuries will just knit themselves all back together. It's one of my hardest to make products and its also expensive even getting the ingredients." Pinkie was smiling as for this product there was almost no downside to it, no icky violence related uses at all.

"Well yes, there is a downside to the product. You can only drink one in a week and otherwise drinking a second one could just make you sick for a week, also another flaw is it won't cure diseases but it'll help fight sicknesses, well that is unless you drink a second bottle within a week of the first." Pinkie should probably explain what the letters GAG stands for and stop bouncing around like a foal on a sugar rush.

"Oh yeah that's a part of why it's called a GAG healing potion. It stands for 'Greatly Ascending Guffaws' healing potion, it is a bit slimy going down but it tastes great unlike most medicines and it doesn't need the spoonful of sugar like I do. Besides as everyone knows laughter is the very best medicine and I can pack it into a small bottle, the laughter is a harmless side effect but it helps the pain go away." And this has been another Pinkie interruption with your smiling and bouncy host.

This has been Pinkmina Diane Pie turning Giggles into Laughter since she was a little filly.

()

Dixie had only blinked and a second later Pinkie had a droopy mustache on her face from out of nowhere. She has learned to accept that Pinkie always had weird things going on around her, but even that was stretched like her imagination and at seeing a mustache instantly grow on her face in the blink of her eyes. She has already seen Ditzy do some pretty strange things but that kind of makes it understandable why she never wins the crazy pony of the year award, Pinkie was too nuts to attempt to defeat in that department. Poor Ditzy still tries though. Dixie blinked herself back to the present and couldn't help but stare at Pinkie as she shook her head.

"Oh, um did you know there was a mustache on your face?" Seeing the look on Dixie's face Pinkie reaches up to her face with a hoof and felt the bushy hairs on the tip of her nose and she looked down at them.

"Huh, that's so cool I didn't know I could do that to myself! I'll have to remember later to come back and give myself this mustache again though." Pinkie notice Dixie giving her a quirked eye and she just gave her a bright cheery smile. Dixie shrugged it off as Pinkie being herself.

"Right, anyway, I came here to talk about an idea I was going to bring up with the rest of our four mare mailing team and I figured you'd help me with something since you're technically part of the team. After I tell you the idea could you please keep it a secret until I gather the other three together and maybe Dolly to run the idea past them." Dixie was nervous; Pinkie just put a hoof on her back and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, now tell me what the secret is and I'll keep it FOREVER! So tell me what this idea is and I'll see what I can do, I'll give it my best and even more to help you, as your one of my many great friends. Everyone in Ponyville has asked me for help at least one time or another I'm just surprised they all think Applejack is the most reliable pony over me, but I guess you can't win them all." Pinkie only received a slightly impish smile from Dixie before she started talking. Pinkie; by the time she was done, was smiling so wide you could almost see her mind running through a thousand party related scenarios that this would cause.

()

Derpy sat at the table looking glum before a muffin covered in hot sauce was shoved to her; she sat up instantly and pounced on the cornbread muffin much to Marehute's amusement as she watched Derpy's wings shoot straight out and become stiff. Derpy blushed and smiled sheepishly with her eyes looking off in opposite directions, Marehute never met a pony so cuddly looking or so easy to tease as apparently muffins had an aphrodisiac effect on the mail mare.

"Now there's a happy if embarrassed customer, do you want to talk some more?" Marehute knew she really shouldn't be thinking of her daughters right now, but Derpy made it impossible for her to see anything but a daughter she never had and she's had three already.

"Okay, I forgot to ask you this before but are you related to a griffin named Gilda by any chance?" Derpy didn't know what happened but she heard a squeal and she had a face full of warm inviting feathers a second later, she was being hugged by Marehute.

"OH! You're a friend of my little GG! Oh I knew you were cute when I heard about you from her, so you're the muffin munching maniac she talked about. " She carefully got Derpy on the floor and started tickling her belly causing her to squirm and giggle. She finally gave Derpy some mercy after a few minutes and let her up from the ground.

"You're her mother? Well could you tell me why she seemed so, 'spirited', when I met her?" Derpy noticed the change in Marehute's demeanor it was a lot sadder.

"Well she was always a wildfire my little GG and well, she got wilder when her father passed away. She took after him a lot and he was friendly griffin to all; don't get me wrong, but it did more damage to Gilda than it did to her sisters who don't even remember him. It was just a good thing I managed to warn her not to try and integrate into regular griffin society and that was the one thing she actually listened to me about." Marehute sighed and sat down at the table patting a spot beside her with a talon causing Derpy took a seat and listened munching more of the muffin she had been given.

"I told her several reasons why she couldn't be with other griffins outside our village. One was because she refuses to eat meat, at all. Two she has an herbivores diet and it would take quick notice among griffins that don't like hippogriffs or those with mixed blood. With the thought that they would have hurt one of my babies I made sure she understood what some unfriendly griffins were capable of. Other than her eating habits and smelling like a hippogriff she was as boisterous and combative as any other griffin. She was just restless in our boring old village, farming mud peppers and she really doesn't like spicy things to begin with. Spicy foods gives her dragons breathe like that poor unicorn. So I eventually gave my daughter a way out into the world and had her go to Cloudsdale with some help from Dolly calling in a favor, she was entered into a flight school in an exchange student program, how Dolly managed that I'll never know. That was where I heard she made a friend; she wasn't very good at making friends around here, so I was surprised she could have found someone so fast out there. Strangely it was a pony she wrote to me about a lot and how harsh some of the outside world was too her because of the constant suspicion that she'd eat some pony. After a while I stopped hearing from her, but I've had Dolly keeping tabs on her from beginning so I knew she was doing okay if a little rough. About a month ago before the mail stopped coming and the wargs started attacking I've been getting all kinds of new letters from my hatchling; she seemed much happier and even has a job, apparently a lot of ponies have accepted her and I couldn't be more pleased to hear about it." Marehute sighed to herself as she put a talon under her beak; she stared into space leaning on the table.

"Hmmm… Marehute are you pining about those wayward daughters of yours again! You should learn to stop worrying and let them fly from the nest how they please." Looking to their right Marehute and Derpy looked to a grizzled old looking hippogriff as he trots into the room. He had a long thick grey beard hanging from his beak, his bodies color was a dark purple, he wore a simple pair of spectacles and his pony mark was of a grandfather clock.

"Horus you old coot, can't I at least worry about how my hatchlings are doing? I know at least two of my daughters are sticking together and doing well for themselves and the other is living with ponies in relative peace." Marehute obviously had something against Horus as he stood there staring at her with a slight smile playing across his ancient beak.

"Hmmm… Yes and you never move on from wanting to always hear from them, your too protective of them huffy tufts." Horus received an angry glare from Marehute and he just cackled at her for it. Seeing Marehute's discomfort Derpy decided to intervene and since this Horus guy was old, he could probably tell her more about Hippolytus and maybe even Dolly.

Marehute only knew of Dolly as a friend that once used to deliver their mail, she really didn't question the red coated mare all too much about her life except to pester her for some adventure stories or what she was going to do next. Marehute didn't really pry too far into Dolly's life; she was probably too polite to do so and Dolly must have appreciated that.

One interesting thing she learned was that apparently Gilda didn't really have much of a friendship with Dolly from the way said griffin with a rather surprising background had talked about her while they were delivering an all important 'package' to Canterlot. It was where Gilda had helped them deliver it after beating the tar out of some Wonderbolts who took it from them.

"Excuse me sir, but how did this village get started?" Derpy saw the look of relief in Marehute's eyes that she was drawing Horus's attention away and mouthed that she'd get Derpy some more muffins later, she carefully backed out of the room as Horus started his tale.

"Hmmm… it was a little over five hundred years ago when…" What followed was a rather droning lecture of griffins, a war with magical beasts in the mountains and the aftermath of those who were proclaimed the wingless that eventually started the hippogriff population. Not to mention a copious amount of mail pony involvement where fighting and delivering messages were key to solving a war that would have dragged far more innocence into the fray. It was a rather engrossing story if it weren't for the storytellers' voice trying to put poor Derpy to sleep.

()

"Come on Trixie, talk to me what did I do wrong this time? What reason do you have to get cross with me now?" Twilight still heard crying, but it was muffled and she her hooves weren't idle she kept pacing around outside the simple door, one she could simply use magic to open it forcefully and enter the room. Trixie knew that, Twilight knew that and if they both knew it, why hadn't Twilight done it yet?

"You did nothing wrong. NOW GO AWAY." Trixie on the other side of the door actually felt bad for yelling at her but she didn't want to relive those memories. She kept her face dug into a pillow and weeping.

"Trixie do you want to talk about it, no pony can herd alone forever you know. After what happened to you when you broke down and clung to Dolly, I really think you could use a friend right now." Twilight stopped at the door and she heard Trixie softly mutter something barely audible behind the door.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you." Twilight flicked her mane with her front left hoof very nervously worried about Trixie's health.

"I SAID I DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS!" Trixie's shout caused Twilight to back up and stand there for a moment listening to Trixie weep before she tried to say otherwise.

"Come on you can't mean that. What about Dolly she took the time to ask for your help and she cared for you, you certainly didn't look bad for someone who was in the Everfree Forest for a while surviving on wild grass." Twilight gestured with her front right hoof before putting it to her forehead realizing Trixie couldn't physically see her gestures.

"She reminds me of my mother" Trixie sounded as broken as she was when she snuggled herself into Dolly's side after she miraculously fell out of the sky after that explosion. "I don't want to remember, but none of you will stop reminding me of her and it hurts so much."

"Will you please let me in Trixie? You may not believe me but I'm your friend too and this is something you need to let out." There was an audible click and the door swung open, looking into the room Twilight could see Trixie had pulled her hat tightly over her head and a diminishing glow emanated from underneath it. Twilight moved up to the bed and got on top of it with Trixie and pulled her into a gentle hug from behind and Trixie didn't react violently to the contact.

"Thank… you…" Trixie needed more hugs, but more importantly "I want to talk to Dolly."

"Can you talk to me? I don't know where she is right now, but talking to any pony is better than no pony." Twilight didn't mind how compromising the position looked it was something she'd do for any friend and Trixie needed some pony right now.

"My name is Trixie Magnifico… my father was the first to go… and mother was with me covered in her blood, her coat turned red and she held on to me for as long as she could manage... it was red and she..." Trixie's pained voice and fresh stream of tears coming from her hat was cause for concern.

Twilight didn't know what to say to that and she now knew why Trixie acted the way she did, apparently Dolly's naturally red coat reminded her of her dying mother. Plus the book Twilight had gotten was written by a Magnolia Magnifico, she felt horrible for drudging up bad memories by accident but the spells in the books seemed like Trixie's thing and she didn't know it would cause this.

"Start from as far back as you can remember and take it slowly Trixie; I'm here for you try to start with happy memories first if it makes it easier for you." Twilight nuzzled Trixie, but it wasn't an affectionate nuzzle but it was calming. Books couldn't teach Twilight how to comfort a friend; though reading a psychology book did help, she has to do what she felt was right in her heart.

"Well when I was a little foal, we had a small home and we were happy… I think I can remember the taste of my first strawberry and how my mother teased me with it…" Trixie eased into the comfort hug and started to let out some long held back steam.

()

Rainbow Dash hadn't luckily seen any of her friends all morning, that thing she imagined with Pinkie Pie while she was screaming with a pillow over her head yesterday just made her feel like blushing. She couldn't have possibly imagined cuddling Pinkie to herself like that or that afterwards she made Pinkie so horribly sad by rejecting her, it was all just a dream.

Right now she was going to try to make friends with a colt, she needed far more then Big Mac who was friendly but not a flyer like she was. She needed to talk with someone who knew how to fly and who better then a long distance flyer?

Long distance couriers always went to directly where they were to deliver too, short distance couriers who got a long distance mission usually ended up carrying several different stacks of mail from several different places. Short distance couriers were to junction through several places picking up and dropping off mail where needed, but a long distance courier always carried first class special urgent delivery mail and they had a lot of tricks and evasive maneuvers for any kind of dangerous situation.

With all this in mind Rainbow hoped she could learn something new to help further her goal of becoming a Wonderbolt, she would probably be the only Wonderbolt stationed in Ponyville or she would want to be stationed in Ponyville at the least.

After stopping at the reception area for the hospital she was given directions to a room where she saw a much healthier looking injured white and brown coated colt laying on his back, his mane was a lighter shade of brown and despite his wings being as messed up as the rest of him but he looked to be in good spirits.

"Hey, are you Spaniel? My name's Rainbow Dash. I was kind of wondering if you know of a Pegasus named Dolly. I mean considering you're a mail courier and every pony talked about how you came into Ponyville." Rainbow was really curious and excited to finally branch out into having a colt for a friend territory just so people would stop with all the background rumors about her nature. If only she knew it would make them worse, but that's a different story.

"Pleased to meet you Miss Dash, yes I'm Spaniel, Spaniel C. Arro rated third top long distance flyer in the mailing services of Equestria. Yes, I also know of Dolly, anyone who's been in the mailing service long enough knows her and she was something special when it came to delivering mail before she dropped that and became a dispatcher, though I wouldn't honestly know why. Dolly was a darn good at freelancing; but she was an even better mail pony. Anyway, yeah I came into Ponyville on a few broken bones, a bunch of contusions and more than a bad deep cut or two. I'm perfectly fine otherwise despite the blood loss, so what is it you wanted to talk to me about and how do you know Dolly?" Sparro was actually glad to have someone to talk, he was breathing much better and staying awake longer then he had been yesterday

"Oh, I just wanted to chat with you, you know, learn a bit about a colt down on his luck and maybe make a new friend, pick up a few flying tricks or training methods… what's this freelancing thing you mentioned?" Rainbow didn't honestly know what freelancing is and if she knew it could have helped her get into the Wonderbolts faster she would have jumped the bandwagon years ago and never have met her good friends. Simply put, a few Wonderbolts were high grade freelancers until they found a permanent job in patrolling the airways between towns, villages and cities. Any prospective freelancer to join the illustrious Wonderbolts would receive a run through of a training program on etiquette, formation flying, aerial maneuvers and combat tactics.

"You're a friend of Dolly's and you seriously don't know what… well freelancing is basically doing odd jobs that could be as simple as fixing a kitchen sink or as dangerous as fighting a giant monster. Mail Ponies freelance because the mail systems are not always going to be busy year round, so we get odd jobs in many different places and we pick up as many skills as we can so we can prepare for anything on top of the actual job of delivering the mail." Spaniel saw the questioning look in Rainbow Dash's eyes; he figured it was about fixing kitchen sinks being a useful skill in the mailing service.

"I can understand fighting monsters, but what does fixing a kitchen sink have to do with delivering the mail?" Rainbow just had to know, because she couldn't think of one thing about fixing a kitchen sink that would be useful in mail delivering.

"A lot actually, if you're the one delivering the kitchen sink, it comes up way too often with the words 'and the kitchen sink' in our line of work. You're better off not asking about it, besides why the interest in learning training methods? Didn't you win the best young flyers competition in Cloudsdale?" Spaniel might not have been able to move much, but he thought Rainbow Dash was rather pretty and full of natural charm, then again he saw all mares as beautiful and always ridiculously out of his league. He even found the Dolly beautiful, even while she was a bloody mess; most of the time it wasn't necessarily her blood, which was usually the case after she got back from a rather vicious freelance mission. It was to note that multiple ponies in the mail delivery system have seen her take on large tasks while in varying states of injury and delivering the mail, one only had to wonder why she was so dedicated about the mail and getting nearly hospitalized every step of the way. Spaniel was pretty sure Artsy Tartsy could paint a joke about it if given enough reason too.

"Well, yeah, but hey I'm trying to get into the Wonderbolts so I have to learn all kinds of neat tricks. I've even thought of becoming an equestrian guard once to pursue my goal, but they seem too stuffy and silent for my taste." Rainbow Dash hovered around Spaniels bed doing small loops in the air and rolling every now and then. Spaniel smiled at Rainbow; there were several avenues for being scouted for the Wonderbolts and he guess that the pony in front of him took to stunt flying even if that wasn't the best method it was applicable because you needed to know how to pull off insane maneuvers or to take risks.

"Have you met any of the Wonderbolts? I happen to know the leader Spitfire and I'm not sure you did after you saved her from that nasty fall, I had urgent mail to deliver into griffin territory before I could watch the aftermath and Celestia…" Spaniel couldn't get any further because Rainbow Dash shook the shock out of head and she made a girlish squeal, one that she would deny to ever having done later because it wasn't cool. Spaniel had just gotten twenty percent cooler in front of her eyes; he was like an instant gold mine of Wonderbolt knowledge. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard for Rainbow to make friends with a colt after all.

"YOU KNOW SPITFIRE! HOW, TELL ME PLEASE." Rainbow was in Spaniel's face and he made as small a motion as he could to give him some breathing room. Doing so, Spaniel noticed Rainbow's eyes were almost sparkling and it complimented her mane a lot to smile like that, but he didn't see any spark between them and he mentally sighed. Maybe he should look into other long distance flyers for a prospective relationship, some pony particularly interested in a long distance one while he was at it.

"I'm a long distance courier; I have to sometimes find her squad and maybe a few others wherever they happen to be flying, I usually find them in dangerous situations. Her squad's headquarters might get a lot of fan mail, but there are special occasions where a mail pony has to deliver an urgent message to them personally. Last time I had to do that I ended up fighting flying monkeys with fez's and little red jackets; it was just a lucky coincidence that a house fell randomly out of the sky and took care of most of them. " Spaniel and Rainbow Dash would continue to converse, a strong friendship was forged between the two but it would not advance beyond that, though Rainbow would learn a lot about long distance endurance flying. She even got some info on the tricks Spitfire could do but has never actually seen them before and they sounded radical, she didn't know the leader could set her body on fire with air friction to become a flying fireball or that her suit was especially tailored for such a tactic.

()

Derpy sat wide eyed, the history of how the Hippogriffs started was a rather sad one, magical beastly creatures that ripped the wings from a griffins back to graft them to their own magically. That wasn't the worst of it but it certainly got a war rolling and long lasting relatively peaceful relations between ponies and griffins. Derpy didn't even begin to know how it would feel to have your wings physically ripped from your back while you were awake and aware through the whole process not to mention watching as creatures implanted a part of yourself on their bodies with magic. Thank goodness that Celestia set a hoof down on those creatures and that Pegasus wings were usually too small to be worth stealing, Celestia was the only pony that probably had wings the size of a griffins at that point in time anyway. Those beasts did something else entirely to ponies and it wasn't very pleasant to hear about either, Derpy certainly didn't like the sound of Chimera's that Horus had spoken of and she liked it even less that the victims were entirely aware of what they had become but could do nothing to stop themselves.

"Hmmm… it wasn't a very great age to be a fighter, but nowadays those kinds of things are just silly myths and legends. I say forget the whole lot of that and stick to the present where everything is rather… pleasant, for the most part except those nasty creatures prowling around here at night. I'm tired young one I'll shall give the guards their orders for tonight and then retire, I need my rest." The old geezer of a hippogriff said as he slowly ambled away from Derpy who had a worried look on her face and her wings quivered slightly. She knew better than anyone that legends always had a lot of truth to them, how else would she and Dipsy have met the great pumpkin otherwise? Dipsy was half asleep when it happened but she did vouch it had in fact happened.

It was almost into the eve of lunch time and Derpy still hadn't seen any of the others, walking out of the dining nook into the foyer she saw Zecora sitting in one of the chairs and just smiling to herself in a freakish kind of way that didn't fit her nature or her face for that matter. Derpy could swear the other members of DERP were all going bonkers, especially Trixie when she went into a childish kind of mindset. Speaking of which time to go check up on her and make sure she at least gets a muffin or was at the least feeling better.

Derpy had a regular plastic wrapped muffin and not one of those zesty wing popping ones that made her feel wonderful when she bit into it, she saw that Twilight wasn't outside the door and moved to open and as she did she heard a voice inside.

"Now tell me what happened to you after that…" Apparently Twilight was still being all level headed like she was with her friends and entirely supportive to whatever Trixie had told her so far, Derpy cracked the door open and kept her wrapped muffin at hoof remembering that it was almost lunch time.

Despite her desire to have said muffin Derpy would wait until after she asked if Trixie wanted it to eat it, looking into the room she saw a nice site before her eyes. It was solemn and tearful Trixie being cuddled by Twilight and it didn't look very compromising at all. The book on magic was left laying on a nightstand nearby.

"I was basically all alone in the world. I guess I have been for a long time even after I came to Ponyville showing off like I always do, I think my mark is more about my need to grab attention from others than my actual special talents." Trixie's statement even though sad was unwarranted and Derpy was going to make it truly known what she was good at and she'd make Trixie happy with a smile and a muffin. She had a plan! Like always when she had a plan everyone around would listen to what she had to say, Trixie thought she was lonely but she's not alone and with her plan Trixie would listen to her.

Derpy has never given up on a friend before and Trixie was in front of her and required priority mail service via her, the delivery was happiness and it was a contagious thing all mail deliverers wished they could deliver every day. Thus Derpy barged into the room all smiles and carrying the wrapped muffin in her mouth.

It kind of startled Twilight removed her hooves from around Trixie's chest and Trixie herself lifted her head at hearing the door slam open. Derpy zipped right into the room with a great smile and pushing a muffin to her as she laid there on the bed that had a rather familiar comfort about it. Looking up into that simple wall eyed smileTrixie couldn't help but feel much better. Trixie accepted the muffin that was being offered; Derpy seemed kind of simple in some ways and there was nothing wrong with that at all.

"You mark is not about grabbing attention Trixie even though it's a waving wand and motion does grab attention. Your mark means possibilities and having lots of them for each speck of magic that sprinkles off that wand on your flank. Now come on it's almost lunch time and I want to see if they can get Twilight to breathe fire with mild hot sauce again." Derpy was being motivational and she got Trixie to laugh, even Twilight was laughing despite her furious blush. Derpy bumped into Trixie flapping her wings trying to push Trixie out of the bed and she was laughing the entire time as she got up and Twilight was standing at her side with a smiling Derpy making silly faces for her.

Now that Trixie really thought about it being great and powerful was one of many a possibilities for her; however, she had only acted like she was. What she truly needed to do was figure out the possibilities she missed in the pursuit of making herself into something she wasn't, looking at the magic book she figured it was the first step she picked it up with her horn glowing and she looked to Twilight who gave her a small smile.

As they made their way down the stairs Derpy had an idea, no one led DERP so that means they were all leaders… so it was time to call a team meeting! They would have to wait until Dolly got back though before they could really discuss anything, they all had their problems and Derpy wanted to crack them and set them all out in the open. She was good at keeping it together better than most other ponies and she had survived a muffin nightmare, they could tell her anything and it wouldn't be as bad as Ponyville running completely out of muffins which was the second most horrifying thing that could happen to her with the first being losing all her friends.

"MEETING!" Derpy shouted out loud causing Trixie who was behind her on the stairs to tumble into Derpy hovering above the stairs and then they both tumbled into Twilight and they all came to a thunderous crash at the bottom of the stairs. Derpy has not been having a good time with stairs or even chairs recently.

"Derpy, please tell me, why did you do that?" Twilight sounded slightly cross and Derpy who was on top of her gave a silly smile and Trixie laughed as she was on top of the pile.

"I have an idea, for a meeting. Since none of us are leaders we can all call one, right?" Twilight blinked as she tried to untangle herself from the mass of hooves they formed and eventually Trixie got off them and they managed to pull themselves together. A Hippogriff walked up to them and gave a hearty laugh and a smiling beak.

"Watch that first step down, it's a doozy." Then the hippogriff who they noticed as one of the guards from the previous night meandered his way up the stairs chuckling.

The three ponies managed to organize themselves and made their way into the foyer to see Zecora still being creepy with the smile almost like a statue that was breathing.

"Zecora, are you alright? You seem strange and how long have you been sitting there?" Twilight couldn't put a hoof on it but Zecora seemed too happy to be normal. Trixie and Derpy shared a look wondering if she had been sitting quietly in the foyer all this time.

"I'm am most fine, my friends of pony kind. I have just been smiling with style, for I have been sitting here for quite a while." Zecora seemed so chipper; it had Twilight giving her a confused look.

Twilight looked back at both Derpy and Trixie, their response was to shrug at her with their hooves up in the air.

"I can't believe it wasn't only the ponies in Ponyville that were crazy, anyway we're about to start a late lunch and Derpy brought up a good point and wants to hold a meeting with all of DERP members present. So if you could please join us Zecora, if you're not too busy doing whatever it is your doing." Twilight got a nod from the zebra and she got up but her smile was ever prevalent on her face.

"Of course Twilight my friend, it is my presence I shall lend." The way Zecora continued to smile as she followed them to a dining table was rather disconcerting, but Marehute was about to start cooking a late lunch and they really couldn't worry about it too much. They had things to discuss, important or not they had to talk about what their direction was. Where they were going and what were they trying to currently achieve, they still had plenty of time to explore the rest of the town.

As they made for the table in the dining room where several tables and locals spent their time eating, they all sat down and looking to Derpy. Derpy didn't know where to begin, but since she was leader of the meeting she figured it was up to her to come up with a topic and she had one I mind. Though they were still waiting for Dolly, Derpy had a few things she could talk about that didn't require her presence.

"So, what was that crying about Trixie and what does it have to do with the magic book Twilight put in her bag before coming down here?" Derpy saw Trixie sigh before she started up the story of her past once again; it wasn't much of a secret. Telling the story to Twilight made it easier for her to get it out even more.

()

Marehute had to get back to the inn to prepare lunch as she was a tad behind, her guests changed her schedule slightly with the early morning romp through town and then Dolly goes missing, but she wasn't missing for long.

Marehute was behind Dolly talking to her in an excited manner; only Dolly wasn't listening as she already picked her stuff up from the Blacksmith. Her order wasn't the most difficult in the world to make and the blacksmith finished it faster then she thought he could, it was only about one in the afternoon.

Dolly had a sheath strapped to her back and hanging over her front left shoulder, inside the sheath was a hilt sticking out within range of her mouth to quickly pull out whatever the weapon was. On her two front legs were two plates of thick metal one each leg acting as bracers that were made for blocking incoming attacks and technically they were miniature flexible shields that didn't clank together as she walked letting her know the blacksmith did a good job. The two plates of metal on both legs covering the front of her legs and her front shoulders

"MARE', settle down. I'm not going to fight the wargs." Dolly certainly could have fooled her with her armored legs and a weapon strapped between her wings.

"Okay then, tell me you didn't ask the blacksmith for a weapon and those leg guards. I don't enjoy watching you come in injured you know." Marehute only receive a hoof for her to quiet down.

"The weapon I asked for, but I certainly didn't ask for the armoring, that was his idea." Dolly received a pair of rolled eyes in her direction.

"Of course it was, because only you would go into a fight with less then you really need and I guess he forced your hoof." Marehute eyed the weapon not sure what it was, the sheath was perfectly round and slightly loose, she really hoped it wasn't what she thought it was with the octagonal guard on the handle.

"I'm not fighting, I'm retreating and if the wargs happen to give chase then that's on me." Dolly received a scoff from Marehute, as if she hadn't ever retreated before.

"Seriously, I'm not going to fight the wargs unless they give chase to me and I'll be traveling fast and low to the ground when I set out tonight." Marehute opened the door to the Chipotle Inn waiting for Dolly to limp in; the bandages covering her left eye could be removed soon. Dolly's hind leg however, would have to remain splinted for whatever it is the crazy mare was going to be doing soon.

"How about we get those bandages off your eye so you can see and then we'll discuss how you'll be running from wargs instead of charging straight towards them. You've got me curious now." Marehute saw Dolly smirk and she really disliked that smirk, Dolly had a plan already and she didn't like that the plan would involve her friend being in worse conditions if she had her way. Sure Marehute can joke about Dolly being injured by betting on her to be injured every time she comes to Hippolytus, but she seriously didn't like the mare being so rash all the time in the name of the mailing system.

()

After having a nice lunch with Luna, Ditzy and her took off for Ponyville.

Ditzy liked Luna and apparently the princess wasn't so easily scared by her bizarre antics or even the thing with the explosive mud to bring down another construction project house. The construction crew was highly baffled when Ditzy explained how explosive mud would easily take down their newest design.

They; the construction crew, finally got a break from the ensuing madness Ditzy brought to their lives when Celestia walked up with an entourage smiling. She had all the workers line up and get a bottle of something to drink. The solar princess told them to specifically drink all of it and they listened, they were in laughing and or giggling fits as they were let off the project for some time to recuperate.

Celestia knew Luna wanted to spend time with Ditzy; it was good for both of them to interact and Canterlot's construction ponies' health. Especially if they all were able to relax for a while, before experimenting more to find a structurally sound building. They were making leaps and bounds in that area with how to make structures survive anything less than Ditzy herself. Celesia had watched them take off wistfully happy for her sister having another friend when the other was out there being dragged through dangerous territory with Dolly.

It wasn't long before Luna found that Ditzy wasn't a very good flyer, if her zigzagging and looping patterns weren't a visual cue that the pony never flied quite right. Soon Luna had a happily cheering Ditzy sitting on her transformed back, Luna had taking up a new bigger form one that was a lot brighter like the light of the moon and her mane sparkled with stars in its light blue hue.

"Jet zippy Luna, we are almost pear." Luna had learn to expect Ditzy's speech mannerisms and they were almost entirely on purpose or so the princess of the night had deduced given that Ditzy was crazy pony that somehow found exploding mud. Luna had even asked her sister before they took off if there was even such a thing as exploding mud and Celestia looked as baffled as she had when Ditzy was explaining it, which still didn't make that much sense given who was trying to explain it.

"Yes, I and Celestia don't have to worry about friction and as long as you're on me we'll get there in no time at all." Luna was proud of her new bizarre friend, no matter how strange or scary she is.

"Um… will you poly forms from distracting crowns in the armada of raisins?" Ditzy could speak as ludicrously as she could, but no matter how hard she tried Luna for some reason always understood her.

"Oh, right… thanks for reminding me, I can't just waltz into Ponyville looking like this, nor can I use my normal form as I will be recognized too easily. I'll need to come up with a disguise; I don't need ponies treating me like Celestia, I don't need flank kissers mind you and I'll be cross with you Ditzy if you ever start kissing mine because I..." After the past thousand years of flank kissing, Luna understood why Celestia had a plan for someone to take her down if necessary; she'd likely solar flare if she didn't have anyone who'd treat her like a normal pony. Looking at her back she saw a sheepish looking Ditzy about to kiss her on the flank and gave her a flat angry stare as Ditzy sat straight up and smiled a less manic looking smile.

"Were you about to literally kiss my flank, you're crazy Ditzy but I didn't think you were that crazy." Luna then let out a hearty chuckle, while Ditzy rubbed the back her head with a hoof as they set down outside Ponyville and Ditzy flapped her wings getting off of Luna's back as she transformed into a average aged mare that almost looked like her normal form except slight changes to her mark and hair color. She had change her mane and tail to a purplish blond, she altered her mark to look like a bubble with a crescent shape floating inside and her coat changed to a dark grey color as her horn became invisible.

"Blinking, Ditzy wondered what name Luna would come up with, as she took on the form like that of her three other acquaintances in the mailing business. She wondered if her name would start with a D, as most of her mailing team aside from substitute dispatcher Pinkie name begins with the letter D. Then again the letter P if rotated becomes a d. Did I leave the oven on before I left for Canterlot? If so I should really stop by Dipsy's house to turn it off." Ditzy was actually saying that out loud and Luna started laughing, the blond pony just found amazing ways to surprise her such as just spontaneously narrating herself.

"Ditzy just call me Dusky Dancer, now let's get to the spa I can't wait to talk about nocturnal animals with Fluttershy, my sister has told me so much about Twilight and her friends." Luna had an excited look on her face as she dragged Ditzy down the road with one of her wings wrapped around the confusing pony's waist.

Fluttershy was in for a surprise when they reached the spa; she was wearing a fashionable yellow and pink cloak. Her friend Rarity however had a most horrible reaction to seeing Ditzy, she ran in the opposite direction screaming.

"Hey Fluttershy It's me Luna, just call me Dusky. What's her problem?" Luna took in Fluttershy's timid nature and let her disguise drop for a minute before putting it back up to assure Fluttershy as to who she was.

"Oh, um… Ditzy destroyed her boutique a while ago and even after it was rebuilt she still hasn't been the same every time she spots her. What is she doing here by the way princess? If you don't mind me asking and if it's alright." Fluttershy scuffed the ground slightly with her front left hoof and hid behind her mane and cloak.

"None of that princess stuff please, we're friends. Well you said you always went to the spa with a friend so I brought one of mine too, she agreed to come and well I'm paying. Do you think we should wait for your friend to come back? Or do we go looking for her." Before Luna could get an answer Rarity charged right on back.

"I don't care if Ditzy is around I'm going to the spa no matter what with my friend and… oh hello there what's your name and why is she still here?" Rarity was doing something Fluttershy was known for doing, she was taking cover behind her Pegasus friend while sending Ditzy angry looks. Ditzy just stood there cross eyed and waiting for them to enter the spa not really caring about the situation, she recently remembered spas do mud baths and she happened to love mud, thus she was set for the evening.

"OH… Rarity, you remember when I told you about some other ponies joining us well…" Fluttershy turned her head to Luna and Ditzy, Luna took a bow and smiled politely while Ditzy had a butterfly fly up her nose causing her to sneeze and a house down the street collapsed. Rarity continued to cower behind Fluttershy, this spa visit wouldn't be normal as she could already tell.

"O…okay… just make sure that Ditzy doesn't come near me, I still have nightmares about it and please be a dear to remind me that I have to leave early to go hunt some gems for Spike." Rarity finally moved out from behind Fluttershy, but she was still very wary of the most destructive pony in Ponyville. Well most destructive aside from Twilight with her magic, Rainbow Dash when she was more reckless than usual, Applejack while tired and Pinkie when one of her balloons inexplicably explodes violently which causes her to urge everyone to exit the party room for a moment with a frantic look on her face.

Nothing bad had happened at the spa and they all had a reasonably good time, except for the fact that Ditzy wouldn't stop hogging all the warm mud in the mud bathing area and she partook slinging some of it as well. Luna and Ditzy would later get a hotel so Luna could spend some more time in Ponyville.

()

Twilight found out a lot of stuff about Trixie, she had to admit she didn't know much of a pony from first appearances. Right now they were sitting side by side at the dining table going over the first spell in book she had gotten from Simari. They were still waiting for lunch as it seemed Marehute was busy elsewhere.

"I don't get it, what good would summoning flowers be to anyone? Sure you could eat them, but it's barely worth the effort or the magic it takes to get them, not much of a trick really." Trixie received a quirked eye from Twilight and decided that maybe there was a thing to summoning flowers that could be of use to them.

"Depends on the flowers you summon my friend, some flowers are strong enough to bring some creatures to their end." Both the unicorns turned to look at the smiling zebra; they shuddered at the same time wondering if she'll go back to being normal. Twilight took a moment to look at Derpy who was staring off into space and balancing a hoof file on her nose, before turning back to Trixie to give her an idea as to how useful the spell could be.

"If I could cast spells like that I'd summon some Poison Joke, those flowers will affect almost any pony and the side effects could be helpful if they are affecting any aggressors and if you're careful with them not to get poisoned yourself." Turning to the doorway from the foyer Twilight and Trixie saw Dolly come in with Marehute; they took note of what Dolly had on her legs.

Dolly had the front of her front legs armored strapped tightly down and what looked to be a sword strapped across her back hanging to the left side of her face, her wings flared slightly showing her back was doing a bit better if still burnt, the left side of her face had three long scars running along it and her eye was relatively unscathed in the damage, plus her mane was back to the way it used to be almost hanging into the right side of her face.

Dolly's hind right leg however was still splinted, she didn't look half bad and seemed to give off a dark appearance which was offset by her currently soft grey eyes as she wandered up to their table and carefully sat down, her leg was obviously still an issue and she shouldn't be walking around on it.

"Right, what'll you be having, sorry for the wait but some pony has a strange plan in her head and who knows what she's going to do this time, not that she has plenty of friends who are worried about her here." Marehute was huffy even if she cared about Dolly; she took their orders with her feathers slightly ruffled and gave one last look to Dolly before shaking her head and stepping into the kitchen.

"I would like to call DERP to a meeting!" Derpy said flipping her hoof file off her nose and placing it into her bag. Derpy seemed unaffected by the warrior visage Dolly gave off, whereas Twilight and Trixie looked slightly worried. Zecora was unreadable as she was still not breaking that smile on her face.

"Well okay then, Derpy is who speaks first as she called meeting and what topic are we starting off with and make it quick because I've got plans. Also could some pony tell me what is wrong with Zecora and do any of you know where I can get some of whatever she's having?" Dolly said it with a blank tone almost completely without emotion receiving a few giggles in response for her pass at Zecora's constantly smiling face.

Derpy could tell that things were not all quite bright around Hippolytus if those warg things continued to attack. Dolly obviously wanted to do something akin to fighting them judging by the way she was currently equipped not to mention all the neat stuff she got from Pinkie that did cool spy things. It was a surprise that Twilight hasn't immediately tried to force anything out of Dolly about it yet or she was just really resisting the urge too.

"I want to hear what you're going to do first, before we get to other topics." Derpy got a simple smile from Dolly.

(End chapter)

Edit note: Did the best I could yet I know there are still plenty of mistakes to be had in my writing.


	6. Chapter 6

Editing done, still probably missed something.

Chapter 6: Elements.

Sitting at the table they all had listened to Dolly's odd plan, what more could the wild mare need? She was armed with weird magical objects like exploding balloons and streamers that stretched while retaining the strength of metal. She had a sword and newly armored front legs. What did they need that would require her to run to the west back through Fetlock Forest to a settlement that was actually on one of Twilights maps.

"I can't say but you'll know when if one of you will come with me, the others will have to stay behind and help Hippolytus in any way they can if you haven't already notice theirs an ugly problem going around and it's destroyed the mailing office here. Derpy opinions and continuation of other topics wherever you see fit and as long as we're willing to talk about it." Dolly's tone was rather cold but she still deferred who was heading this meeting.

"Okay, next topic Trixie are you okay and do you need a muffin and a group hug." Derpy gave Trixie a friendly look and smile and she returned it.

"I The Trixie am most fine my friend, however I find myself thinking about how my life has gone so far and I figured out with the help of the best friendship maker around, that I'm neither great nor powerful. To become as such I'll have to work up to it and actually be something instead of talking about it, but I would like a hug from Dolly if she doesn't mind." Trixie dipped her head at the table slightly before looking up at Dolly with a hangdog expression, Dolly got up and fluttered over to Trixie and embraced her calmly, if a bit coolly.

"Is It because I reminded you of Magnolia… your mother was something else Trixie, but I'm not her though I'm kind of flattered. I did actually see her last show, you need to start doing her proud by learning all her spells and how to use them, she'd like that. Just know Trixie, it isn't the power of a spell that makes you great; it's the power of your heart. It also doesn't matter how great a spell is, what makes a spell truly great is how you use it. Just remember what I told you about Poison Joke. Ask Zecora, Twilight and Derpy as they can help you learn about that particular flower, they've all had a taste of its effects before." Dolly just whispered all this into Trixie's ear as she held the stage magician who was nuzzling into her chest, Dolly kept her hooves wrapped around the magician who pulled back and mouthed 'thank you' to Dolly before they turned to continue the meeting of DERP.

"Next agenda, we should all apologize to Twilight for laughing at her, friends know to apologize and I laughed a bit too. Sorry for laughing at you Twilight. I hope the muffins see fit that we're still friends." Twilight just looked at Derpy with something akin to an awed smile.

"I the normal and everyday Trixie shall apologize for my snickering in a snide manner at you." Trixie was the biggest shock to Twilight, but then again they were friends now though it was still jarring to hear Trixie apologize.

"I too need to apologize for my actions laughing at you in such a way, such merriment certainly held my sway this day." The smiling zebra still had Twilight on edge but she was at least talking like she was acting normal.

"I apologize for my actions Ms. Sparkle; I wholeheartedly hope to make it up to you when the time is right. It's a promise I intend to keep." Dolly was still no nonsense and Twilight gave thought to the mare. She was cool when talked to and she threw herself into danger without a second thought and this was the mare they were all following around on some important quest? Well it wasn't all so bad, Dolly had a good heart or at least Twilight would like to believe that. She seriously seemed to care about Hippolytus to insist they stay and help out while she attends to other business.

"Friend discussion, how are all of you feeling right now?" Derpy was lightening the mood quite well; even if she weren't smiling or wall eyed she would have lightened the mood up by sheer force of will alone.

"I'm healthy enough, though I feel things are about to shoot downhill if the chill going down my spine has anything to do with it." Though her reply was dryly given Dolly could literally feel a chill going through her body. "Hey Marahute, can I get a pencil, paper and an envelope? I got something I need to write down."

Marahute looked tired as she plopped some food down in front of a injured watch guard who had been waiting a while for food and turned to Dolly and nodded before rushing off to fill out some other order for a pony, griffon, hippogriff or otherwise.

"Trixie will be fine for now." Trixie had to think and she thought about Poison Joke, why had that flower been mentioned more than once? Marehute quickly placed an envelope, a sheet of paper and a sharpened pencil down in front of Dolly as she quickly passed on by carrying a tray to more customers of the Chipotle Inn. Dolly picked up the pencil and started writing away at her piece of paper.

"I'm feeling most dandy; I could possibly go for a glass of Brandy." Zecora was never one to drink much but she couldn't help but be all smiles as she was right now. Dolly continued to scribble some writing onto the sheet of paper in the background completely ignoring the other mares; she swiftly sealed what she wrote in her envelope and stuffed it into her right side bag with her Pinkie supplies.

"Well I'm feeling perfectly fine and fully muffin, now the topic about how to help Hippolytus; I guess it coincides in whose going with Dolly. I volunteer." Derpy received Dolly's blankest stares before she spoke. "Sorry to disappoint you Derpy, but it'll either be Twilight or Trixie that goes with me. You're needed here in Hippolytus."

"Huh? But why can't I go with you? Why didn't you mention Zecora?" It was Derpy's most eloquent response as she didn't know why Dolly wouldn't want to travel with her, from everyone's perspective she looked thoroughly hurt that her long time boss was asking her to stay behind.

"Zecora needs to get herself back in gear and she can help here by patching them up." She motioned towards the injured guards sitting at a separate table talking quietly, one of the guards perked up at hearing her talk about them. "We can use all the help we can get around here, the attacks have gotten fiercer over the past few days. If you can lend a hoof we'd be obliged to help you out in any way we can if we survive another night."

They watched as the griffin guard turned back to his compatriot a hippogriff and continued their conversation, they looked to be the guards from last night and they were both covered in scratches, bruises and one looked to have a bite mark on his neck. Dolly took Twilights map and laid it out on the table for all of them to look at.

"Another is that I'm going to be drawing off whatever wargs I can from Hippolytus, they are likely going to attack in mass tonight. I know this because I saw the force driving them; it knows I'm here and it's going to be gunning for me. I need you here to figure out what that force wants with Hippolytus, while I make my way to Novascoltia. I have reasons of my own for wanting to travel with either Trixie or Twilight, but more importantly I need someone to watch my back when a magically inclined evil powerhouse is around. You can understand my trepidation with the fact that magic has already disabled my and Derpy's ability to fly once already and if for any reason I stop being able to fly I'd want some magical support."

Twilight could see what Dolly was getting at. Two Pegasus set out and then drop to the ground and are quickly swarmed and devoured in her mind, which was followed by the image of a Unicorn managing to use a spell to deflect unimaginable beasts as they continued on their way.

Derpy wasn't the physically strongest pony but she could distract and fight better than most ponies, however against magic they would be sitting ducks. Zecora probably didn't even register in Dolly's mind as she wasn't very much for fighting as she was for avoiding danger altogether. Plus Dolly said whatever was controlling these Warg things was targeting her, but why was that? Did it have to do with Dolly's absence earlier this morning?

Trixie and Twilight looked at each other before opening their mouths to talk.

()

Luna yawned and stretched out before sitting up, it felt good to get a hotel room with no royal treatment to get in the way and she was just like every other pony. She had changed back after leaving the spa and hardly anyone recognized her much to her relief, she had bid Fluttershy a farewell and then took up a room in a quaint hotel. She heard a yawn in the bed next to hers and she saw Ditzy looked completely haggard, she didn't look to have gotten a good night's rest, it was currently in the evening and they both spent all of last night having fun after she did her job to give the moon it's momentum.

"How do people sleep in these things, I prefer my rock filled sleeping bag." Ditzy got an astonished look from Luna. Ditzy would rather sleep on a pile of hard rock's than in a soft comfortable bed? Well she has heard a lot about Ditzy's living arrangements around Ponyville, she has to camp outdoors as she's considered too dangerous to own a house within the towns limits.

Luna shook her head it was almost time for her to start working in another few hours, she now pulled out a list of friends she had. She had Derpy Hooves, Ditzy Doo and Fluttershy; she wasn't quite sure whether or not to add Rarity to the list; maybe a bit more before she decides, otherwise that pony was just an acquaintance. From some point of view Luna figured sleeping on rocks might actually be pretty comfortable to someone who slept on them all the time.

()

Pinkie was currently walking by the hotel in Ponyville when she felt a very, very, very cold twitch. The kind of twitch she'd feel if she were completely unloved and hated by everyone. Looking around Pinkie didn't know what the twitch was for or what it meant, but it had her feeling on edge.

None of their friends have been by to visit Applejack lately; she must be working too hard and Pinkie hasn't heard much from Rainbow Dash either. Then again Pinkie knew that Rainbow Dash was struggling with the town being interested in her preferences, which wasn't very nice of the town but then again Pinkie really shouldn't have invaded Rainbow's dreams either that was wrong of her and she should really apologize.

At least Pinkie knew Rainbow wasn't interested in any romantic situations right now considering her repulsed reaction to Pinkie interfering with her dream. Maybe she should go throw a party for that injured Pegasus at the hospital after she was done visiting Applejack it'd give her something to do instead of worrying about this scary twitch that was more of an itch that wouldn't stop.

()

Dixie rocked and cuddled little Dinky in her hooves, she was so cute when she was sleeping. Looking up Dixie thought she heard Ditzy's voice and saw her pass by with a strange mare with a moon on her flank.

Dixie smiled to herself she was happy that Ditzy was back so that she could go talk to her, but before she did she had to place the filly in her bed. Sure Ditzy might not be the sanest pony, but she was a strong and trustworthy companion to Dixie even if their personalities had a slight clash with Ditzy's overly destructive nature and horrible sense of humor.

Plus it looks like Ditzy had a new friend who looked to have not noticed her eccentric nature or too the more probable thoughts buzzing in her skull that her friend could have overlooked it entirely too actually want to spend time with Ditzy. If so then Dixie could be friends with that pony too, a lot of ponies really needed to stop seeing her as a one mare wrecking crew despite the fact that she literally was. There was a lot more to Ditzy then random acts of wanton destruction like the fact that she was a licensed nurse, something even Dixie herself hasn't accomplished, mostly because she didn't want to be a nurse or a doctor.

Though Dixie could say she wasn't bad at open heart surgery which she only did once under a high amount of stress and given five minutes to skim through a book on the subject and a nurse to walk her through the stuff she didn't know. It was surprising that the doctor asked her why she wasn't a doctor herself after she was finished deftly saving his life and as a result quite a few others in the Fillydelphia hospital that day, having a mild knowledge of sewing helped with closing up the incisions nicely though she was sickened by all the blood.

()

"ARRROOOOO." The warg was sent flying away by a flash of metal as Dolly kept flying backwards making sure to keep facing the wargs charging after them, her weapon held tightly in her right hoof curled around the hilt as the sun was almost done setting.

Turning to look Twilight didn't see blood flying anywhere and looked confusedly at Dolly's sword or what she had; like every pony else, assumed was a bladed weapon. It was certainly more different than what Twilight knew of weapons, the steel cylindrical bar ending in a slightly rounded point where the sharp cutting blade was posed to be had her baffled. Why did Dolly buy a weapon that couldn't cut? Not that Twilight was complaining or anything, it was just really odd and it definitely wasn't a rapier. Rapiers were thick at the base and thin at the tip, this weapon was thick all the way through to the tip.

Dolly let loose a flurry of jabs and slices batting away each warg that was fast enough to keep up with their pace. From what Dolly could see there were three groups of four tailing them and they weren't very smart about trying to pounce on her, they even tried attacking Twilight only to get sent flying by a quick flick levitation blast from her horn launching them back towards the way they came. Twilight had to have amazing focus to run and use magic at the same time.

One warg charged up and opened its jaws wide as it pounced towards Twilight only for Dolly to block with her left hoof bracer, she rammed it into the wargs open mouth and quickly jammed her oddly bladeless sword into its side point first guaranteeing it wouldn't be standing up anytime soon. The warg gave a pitiful whine as it hit the ground and Dolly kept hovering backwards at a steady pace that was set by Twilight.

Of the three types of ponies that could use weapons a Pegasus was better at getting the full effect of actually wielding a one.

An earth pony was the best type of pony for heavily armored combat; they could take a massive beating and dish out five times more than what was being dealt to them. Unfortunately they were better at using their bare hooves than they were at using weapons, as using a weapon would take up their ability to talk and at times words were better than holding a weapon in your mouth.

A unicorn pony was the best kept sticking to what they do best, which was using their magic. Sure they could use weapons but they'd wear out eventually and a unicorn was not one for heavy armor as they didn't have the muscle build up needed with years of study to control their magical abilities that would be dangerous otherwise if they didn't. Unicorns needed concentration to do anything with their magic and were usually better at long distance combat.

Twilight however was proving herself to be good at multitasking as she kept flinging the small contingent of wargs away as they got too close and only if Dolly couldn't stop them in time.

A Pegasus was the best at effectively using weapons hoofs down, especially if the weapon was a spear. The reason why is because a Pegasus can wield a weapon in their front hooves without need to balance on their hind hooves or to wield the weapon in their mouth.

Dolly proved this point by hovering slightly above the ground and keeping her body vertical giving them little room to get an angle of approach at her; if she were on all fours they'd go after her sides like they were doing ineffectively to Twilight. Dolly had great maneuverability and could effectively use the bracers wrapped around her front hooves to block any claws striking out at her.

"How are you doing Nightlight?" Dolly said uncharacteristically happy about how she was dealing with several wargs at once, proving to be more trouble than she was worth to bring down.

"I've handled worse situations than this." Twilight said continuing to keep going at a steady if rapid pace, she was busy trying to remember her book on how to run and keep running for long distances.

"If you're talking about Luna, the local dragons or the diamond dogs I will say that you have yet to actually handle anything serious. The hydra though was actually a smart decision on your part to run away from, the Kobold was something you couldn't have possibly known was immune to magic and as such this is by far the worst danger you've been in, you've had it easy so far." While she was talking Dolly struck a warg across the throat with a hard slash and it fell to ground with a large nasty bruise forming where it was struck, it was barely breathing for a moment before it got back up.

"How do you figure that? Everything else I've been through seems pretty dangerous to me." They were coming up on the outskirts of northern Fetlock Forest, passing by several large rocks, pools of mud and various bits of grass and swamp lands, a few hills that Dolly avoided while continuing her backwards flight path. Twilight didn't actually think to ask how Dolly knew so much about what she and her friends did; even if she had Dolly was prepared to deflect her questioning as she knew a pony that followed them around endlessly.

"Luna was never actually trying to actively kill you; at worse the fall from that cliff would have broken maybe one or two bones in your body at best, you would have recovered quickly given your rather specific nature. The manticore's around Ponyville are ridiculously small and don't carry lethal toxins in their tails, mostly paralytic stuff and it's quite annoying to lay on the ground for hours at a time waiting for it to wear off and that was just me building up an immunity to the stuff. The 'Elements of Harmony' thing was a planned outcome from the very start so I doubt any danger was actually part of that night at all. The dragon you got to leave the mountain was one of a mostly non volatile species, so at most you probably annoyed him a little and he was just trying to shoo you away. The other dragon was a Spiny Norman which is actually quite lethal. But they are known for poor eyesight, plus operating poorly at night considering it is a primarily diurnal species and it was probably really tired when it found you're assistant Spike in its cave nibbling at its hoard of food. Otherwise outrunning one would have been a lot harder, just be glad they don't hold deep rooted grudges. The Hydra was a tad dangerous, but they are quite slow and easy to confuse and are not very well coordinated, but otherwise you did well considering Pinkie was twitching like mad that day and she actually managed to detect two instances of danger for once and… EXCUSE ME I'M TALKING HERE!" Dolly reared back her left hoof and cold cocked a warg; that was lunging right at her, instantly busting its snout and stopping its forward momentum. It fell straight to the ground where her hoof met its face.

Dolly had to say these things were pretty persistent and had to be magically charged up to handling all the disabling blows she was landing, she had been striking their legs, heads and weak undersides to almost no effect as they were always back in the chase moments later. Her weapon was not for show considering the damage these wargs took; they should already have gone home to lick their wounds by now.

Twilight; who was still putting up decent gallop and keeping control of her breathing, almost stopped at witnessing Dolly managing to put out enough force to stop a lunging warg with a single blow from her hoof. It took longer for that warg to get up than any of the others and Twilight knew that they had to be doing something to them, as they have already injured all twelve wargs in several obviously painful ways. She had been tossing them randomly onto rocks, into shrubs and into the surrounding landscape doing plenty of damage without really trying too; she had to at least have broken one of their legs.

"Anyway if you think a Diamond Dog is tough you have yet to see some of the burrowing animals I have. To put it frankly those guys are cheap on intelligence and even cheaper on bathing, sure they might have some muscle and are quick diggers but overall they aren't really all that tough as they appear and it's all eighty percent bravado on their part. I should know, they dragged me into their lair once and I beat them all within an inch of their lives for attempting to enslave any more ponies. Just to make it clear I literally beat up all one hundred and thirty seven of them and the armor that some of them wear is made out of tinfoil, they are quite pathetic when compared to the tenacity that is a giant burrowing ant-lion-scorpion bearing down on you." Dolly spun around and saw that they were at the edge of the forest, the twelve wargs were still in pursuit but they were much slower as if the injuries dealt were finally beginning to overcome the magic that had held them together so far.

Well it was about time to scare them off; Dolly sheathed her blunt weapon and reached into her right side bag where all her important Pinkie Pie related gear was. Her left bag was used for snacks and the like but she hasn't checked it since they left Ponyville, they were the kind of snacks that won't spoil for a long time anyway so there was no need to check it. Thinking of bags Dolly realized Derpy never quite stopped carrying around that old mail bag she gave her since first giving her a job, she should have traded in for a new one by now. Dolly shook her head, now wasn't the time to think of her enigmatic friend.

Dolly pulled out a balloon and quickly blew air into it causing a highly combustible mist to swirl inside it, making sure to keep both her hooves on it she took careful aim as she held the balloon out to her side slightly. When she stopped pinching the balloon with her right hoof. A jet flame shot out and it launched on a spiraling path towards the wargs gathering behind them for a group rush.

It fell short and struck the ground, causing a muffled explosion to blow five of the wargs back two feet and up seven. This didn't discourage them as Dolly initially thought it would and they kept coming. Dolly at the moment didn't feel like using up all her Ballistic Balloons quite yet to ward off something she could handle with her bare hooves as apparently these guys weren't getting the message.

"Got any ideas? It looks like they are ready to die hounding us all the way to Novascoltia and I intend to get there before this night is through." Dolly was hovering right next to Twilight, who slowed down a bit and gained a thoughtful look.

"Not really, I can't think of anything right now. Besides I've never actually read any books on how to fight. Plus I wouldn't know what magic to use to stop them, I'm not magically trained for combat nor have I read any books that would help me disenchant evil magic." Twilight received Dolly's rolled eyes as a starch reply to her book focused mind that came out with a suddenly bored tone. "Never mind, we can stop running now."

With that Dolly dropped to the ground being careful to keep her back right leg held aloft before gently setting it down, it was wrapped in a tight cast before they left Hippolytus and it was to make sure she didn't injure it further. She simply sat on her butt, while Twilight stopped running and panicked by going back for Dolly as the wargs converged on her trying to get her to move.

Dolly kept a straight face as they jumped towards them and soon a sly smirk made its way onto her face. Twilight's ears tilted back in horror; as she was preparing to unleash as much magic as she had to defend them. It was soon followed by a look of confusion on Twilights face as the wolf like creatures fell to the ground and the sudden need to withdraw the buildup in her horn. Each one had at least five to seven arrows in their bodies, none of them appearing to be dead yet, but they were in clear agony. Their legs had been pierced in awkward ways making them unable to get up and do much more than the whine pitifully.

Looking up Dolly smiled at the brown fluffy creatures that were yipping happily at them, she gave them a nod in gratitude. Dolly had felt her danger sense had blanked out entirely when it had been blaring minutely every time a warg tried to capitalize on trying to get a sneak attack in on her, which would never have happened anyway. The sudden loss of feeling danger could mean one of two things, her danger sense overloaded or that the danger she was feeling has passed. Dolly had to give it to the male Brownies they were awfully cute and they had ridiculously good aim, it was nice to see them again.

Dolly wrapped a hoof around Twilight and saw her twitch slightly before she got up and started walking; it was soon followed by Dolly hovering next to her to continue their path to the west. They did not want to know what the Brownies were going to do with those wargs. They made their way through Fetlock Forest at a more sedate if still quick pace.

"How did you know the Brownies were going to help us?" Twilight saw an amused look cross Dolly's eyes. "I didn't, just a feeling that we were safe. For now at least, go ahead I know your just dying to ask me a whole list of questions."

"Well I was wondering why you didn't consider all my other friends for DERP, by the way the organizations name could use some work." Twilight really had to wonder why Dolly specifically chose the ponies for the job that she did. "Do you have any pony in particular to start with or do I need to explain how all the stuff you faced so far has barely been all too dangerous yet, again."

"Well I would like for you to start with Applejack she's strong, dependable and honest." Twilight saw that Dolly didn't really seem to be thinking to hard about what she was about to say. "Unfortunately the element of Honesty is stubborn on many things and sometimes not being honest would help a situation, plus she's an important source of food to Ponyville and I don't think she can spare more than three weeks a year aside from her free time or winter to go gallivanting around. She's too busy and has a really important job, in comparison to yours it's one of the reasons why you are here."

"What about Rainbow Dash, she's loyal, fast and willing to help when she's most needed." Twilight could see the reasoning being as busy as Applejack was; though she didn't rise to the jab at her library work or her study in the ways of friendship, but what did she have to say about her rainbow colored friend?

"She's also competitive, loud and has no sense of patience. I needed ponies that could be level headed and that wouldn't crack under pressure like she did at the young fliers competition, she was initially number two to fly that day. The element of Loyalty is strong in its own right but it relies too heavily on the heart to make decisions when the mind is needed to solve a situation with a better outcome." Dolly saw the questioning look in Twilights eyes and she was about to open her mouth when Dolly held up a hoof. "I know she was number two that day because Derpy was in the competition and Ditzy was there to vouch on what number Rainbow Dash originally had. If you don't help her she won't be a Wonderbolt in the foreseeable future which is another reason you have to live through this more than I do."

Twilight went to open her mouth again only to receive another raised hoof to hold her tongue, she was about to ask what had Dolly meant by her having more reason to live than she did.

"Before you say Fluttershy next, Derpy already does a pretty good job with making friends and is steadfast in any situation. Also consider the fact that we're dealing with a massively meticulous magical malcontent magnificently messing with my mailing menagerie. Do you seriously want that innocent mare dragged into this entire thing? There are a few things that's she's not going to be able to stare down, that Kobold being one them as summons are not naturally occurring phenomenon. The element of Kindness cannot affect that which has no heart, another thing to remember is that kindness has its limits and can only get you so far." When Dolly finished speaking in her even; if slight cold voice, Twilight started to pick up on something about the way she was pointing out their flaws.

Dolly mentioned the elements specifically and she was giving some very good reasons as to why Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow couldn't come along. She more than likely had a few reasons for why Rarity and Pinkie couldn't come along too, what Twilight was more worried about was Dolly seeing herself as less important. Maybe it was because she wasn't an element of harmony?

"Is there something about the elements of harmony that you know that I don't?" Twilight saw Dolly's steely gaze turn in her direction as she hovered next to her, they were already half through the forest and they could see the road to leading to Novascoltia ahead.

Dolly opened her mouth, nothing came out as her pupils shrunk and she shuddered in the air violently she quickly dove into Twilight pushing them both into a nearby bush and she had her hoof tightly wrapped over a panicked Twilights mouth. "Quiet."

With but a single word Twilight stopped putting up a struggle and her ears much like Dolly's stuck straight up at hearing what sounded like a large creatures wings beating eerily in the early night. Given that they were almost to the trail they could see a clear patch of sky through the tree's that were filled with moonlight. A large shadow hovered around the area, its red glowing eyes looking around through foliage it sent out gout of flame at some nearby trees on the opposite side of the road from Twilight and Dolly. A bunch of woodland creatures screeched and fled from the burning trees as they turned into a sickly black husk.

The eyes of the beast narrowed looking around as it hovered menacingly for a moment, not successfully flushing out one of many targets it started heading for its destination, followed by several other large shadowy creatures with glowing red eyes. It could have sworn that it saw a grey coated Pegasus among the brush heading towards the road.

Dolly kept a tight grip on Twilight for a few minutes. As soon as she felt the danger had passed she released Twilight carefully and checked on her back right leg, the cast had a slight crack in it from her sudden tumble but she made good not to initially land on it.

Twilight stood up and heaved a few deep breathes, she looked at Dolly still laying on her back checking her leg cast. With a flick of her magic and a slight glow of her horn she levitated Dolly into the air and set her down gently on her three good legs.

"What… was that…?" Twilight never seen a creature with so many teeth and that snake like head had almost caused her to lose control of her bowels, then there was the fact that it could breath fire and it didn't have any forearms like Spike. She had never seen a dragon like that, but Dolly obviously knew a thing or two about dragons. Dolly seemed like an encyclopedia of dangerous stuff that Twilight has only just begun to hear of, she had read books sure, but witnessing something first hand was a frightening experience.

Twilight never had to personally witness a monster that sucked all the light out of the air around it, most of the books she read were based around magic and the creatures that could use it. Those things were something she hoped couldn't use magic, she didn't even know what a parasprite was when she first saw one and she hoped these things didn't have the nasty surprise of spontaneously multiplying themselves.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder causing her to jump. Twilight had spaced out without realizing it and she soon found herself staring into a calming pair of grey eyes hovering in front of her, with her horn glowing at a really dangerous level of magic.

"Whoa there Nightlight, I guess it's your first time seeing a wyvern. They are the reason why Wonderbolts are still considered military and not just aerial acrobats. Specifically those wyverns were being powered by the same entity that was leading the wargs and furthermore they were looking for us. I just wanted to ask if you could pull out your map, I sense no danger right now." Dolly urged Twilight a bit and she magically opened a flap on her left saddle bag and unfurled a map showing where they were and where Novascoltia was. Novascoltia was directly west of the north part of Fetlock Forest, far southeast of Fetlock Forest was Canterlot but it still put them a pretty good distance away from what Twilight called a safe home. Dolly traced a hoof along the map and stopped at some mountains in the far northwest barely connecting to Mangora Mountain and then tapped her hoof on it.

"Snoneigh Heights, What could those things want all the way out there?" Twilight said looking at Dolly's hoof lightly pressed against the floating map. "There's a mailing office in Snoneigh Heights, not very much mail goes to there. But a lot of stuff does come from there, including some of my favorite hair care products. There are only a few places in the world that a unicorn can make a magical shampoo and that's one of them. I can only hope the ponies there hold out till we arrive, I wouldn't wish wyverns on any pony and I can't even begin to wonder what the magical force behind all this is thinking. Those are an especially rare intelligent fire breathing breed of wyverns; most likely summoned by magic as they are not even natural for this region of the world, the only place you'd see wyverns like that is in the badlands deep in Griffon territory. By the way, never ask a dragon what a wyvern is or if they are related to them unless you want to die. Dragons may hate being interrupted or bothered, but they will drop any transgression and go for the nearest wyverns' throat if they so much as see a hint of one."

"I'll keep that in mind Dolly. Those 'wyverns' as you called them kind of freaked me out with their long snaking necks." Twilight shuddered she didn't like snakes, she was fine with Gummy the gator, but she's been put in relative low levels of danger since she's been in Ponyville. Now; however, she was seeing more dangerous things in these two days that it made her head spin that she had been almost completely unharmed, then again she had to give thanks to Dolly's 'danger sense' or else they would have been ambushed by those snake necked leathery winged creatures.

"So… elements of harmony." Twilight started even if a bit numbly, Dolly gave a soft sigh. "Yes, I know quite a lot about them. The element of Generosity can give too much; its flaw is overlooking things and sometimes being generous does not directly translate to being kind. The element of Laughter… you five ponies nearly destroyed Pinkie by accident and I'm upset with all of you for it. I'd rather not bring her weakness up, but knowing me it will anyway. I wouldn't have even given thought to bring you along if I didn't think you were trustworthy."

"Destroyed her? " Twilight stopped her eyes wide and she looked at Dolly's hovering back side, Dolly turned her head slightly showing the claw marks on her face. "An element is a separate thing from a cutie mark in meaning, it's more of a strong personality trait that has a power all its own. Each element can work by itself or combined to strengthen or weaken each other, your element in particular can work well on its own without support. However, without other elements yours can't work its full potential which is its weakness, your element is a well rounded one capable of connecting with almost any other element. The elements are bound to the ponies till death and over the last thousand years they haven't been all together at any point in time, at any given time two or three of the main elements at best have been active. Celestia finally felt the spark in you and five others and knowing her I was given the opportunity to drop from her sight. She can forget the lesser elements she doesn't have much use for anymore, they still live on even if no one is aware they exist."

"Lesser elements, how did we nearly destroy Pinkie Pie, what is your connection to Celestia, what are you talking about?" Dolly stopped hovering and saw the lights of Novascoltia in the distance she set herself on the ground and motioned for Twilight to take a seat next to her, having done so Twilight looked at the mostly three colored mare. "There many lesser elements like Empathy, Wisdom, Perseverance and far more than I have the time to tell you about. We're not quite up to the level of the elements of harmony but we are simply known through the lands as heroes and innovators of lore. Some of us become close to Celestia, closer than some should. The only one that can truly keep her eternal company would be none other than her sealed away sister Luna or one who can ascend into immortality and handle its stresses. Mind you her phoenix does have a three thousand year warranty on it and it's been her best friend since she had to put her sister away with a broken heart, one of the reasons you didn't know about her beloved pet was simply because it's the closest thing to her in life span as she can get without corrupting some poor pony for the need of more than just outright adoration. "

Twilight stayed quiet, but she had so many questions on her lips she couldn't even begin to describe. There was so much she wanted to know but she stayed quiet, of one thing she just learned was that Dolly was a lesser element.

"I'm the element 'Courage' it is as weak as it is strong, I can rush straight into the jaws of death itself even if I was full to the brim with fear that would send most ponies running away. Courage can double as blind stupidity and an early death, I'm only alive because I'm smart and my head blares at me painfully when things are exceedingly dangerous with my natural born sensing ability. The past holders of Courage were not as lucky, I've read every historical document pertaining to those poor ponies and frankly I wasn't surprised Celestia became careful when she learned of me becoming the holder of that element. Her fear is why I had to leave her side."

Dolly gave a pause and looked to the moon in the sky, it was still early in the evening and she wondered how Derpy and the others were doing. They needed some rest anyway so why not indulge Twilight with some knowledge. Said purple pony felt something was off with Dolly. "If she feared for you, than why did you leave her side? Wouldn't that make her feel worse?"

"Those with Courage can do what most others can't and she was smothering me with more love than I knew what to do with and that was after she reattached one of my legs magically after a horrific incident better left unsaid. Celestia didn't think much of my element in a time of peace before that incident. I was a mail carrier at the time and mind you I'm barely five years your elder; she thought that I would be safe and not actively rush to my death. She; to put it quite frankly, panicked and badly at that after personally seeing how the other elements of Courage had died before me. Whether the element gave itself to protecting her personally, someone else or simply facing an insurmountable obstacle to give others a chance at living, they always died fighting for a better tomorrow. Celestia was trying to protect me and that over protectiveness is why I can't be in her presence, I fear if I didn't soon leave her side she might have gone the way of her own sister in a much more differently twisted way. I'm one of the few that would actually have the strength to stop her if she were to actually become twisted; she very well knows it, very few ponies would have the strength to rise up to someone so beloved."

The somber tone in which Dolly spoke sat like a rock in Twilights stomach, Celestia becoming like Nightmare Moon? She couldn't even begin to imagine that happening with her teacher being such a beautiful benevolent being, she was going to say something that sounded foreign, even to her. Maybe only Luna would have truly felt something close to what she was going to say. "Can you answer me on these three topics Dolly; I… I want to know about Pinkie, your strange weapon and if you… hate… princess Celestia."

"My weapon is a neighyashi, a blunt sword that to most ponies would be for disabling you opponents by cutting off blood circulation in their bodies with rapid sharp blunt blows to specific joints. Maybe for a unicorn it can be jabbed hard enough you can damage the unprotected insides of whatever you hit. This weapon can be used better by a Pegasus, there is much more to it then what you see and I hope you never have to see that. As for Celestia I don't hate her nor do I hate her for trying to reconnect to me to smother me with her protection, I did what was needed even if it was hard to do. Avoiding Celestia isn't easy unless she was busy with something else, something really important. She once somehow got a hold of a letter to myself I had tasked with one of my mailing team to deliver to my home, she summoned me and what she got was my friend Dipsy to pick it up for her trouble." Dolly noticed Twilight staring at her sadly, Twilight couldn't even begin to describe what it was like having to avoid a friend to save their sanity.

Twilight was what diverted Celestia's attention to give Dolly freedom and then she moved to Ponyville… a few years and 'Mare in the Moon' lying on the floor in a library, then she's in Ponyville too, researching 'Friendship'. It kind of all stuck out now like a ton of bricks dropped on her head after an anvil and several other things she can't vaguely remember except Derpy smiling sheepishly at Pegasus at the back of a cloud van. Celestia did care though, Twilight knew that much, but she also schemed and mostly out of need to be close some pony that didn't instantly bow down at her feet all the time like her.

"About Pinkie… what you did on her birthday, it was one of the worst things you could have ever done to her. I didn't think it was possible to break the element of Laughter as far as you five did with her and I'm not even sure she fully recovered from it. A pony who knows every pony in Ponyville and will befriend anything at the drop of a hat, broken by five mares she considers her closest friends in naught but a few hours… " Dolly stood up and glared at Twilight with a harshness that ate at her shivering body, like a direct glare from Fluttershy herself.

"How did we… what did we do exactly and does this have to do with why her hair was all straight and she was angry with us." Twilight didn't know the severity of what Dolly was talking about but she had a clue it had to do with Gummy's after birthday party.

"Tell me you didn't spend the entire day avoiding her, just tell me that and I'll try to believe you for your sake. Rainbow Dash confided in me how far gone Pinkie had been before the surprise party barely snapped her back to normal." Dolly's grey eyes were reading Twilights like a book the way they turned away from her and pointed towards the ground, Dolly kept her tone even and cold. "You did, you all left her alone, you avoided her and you were doing stuff behind her back not wanting to spend time with her. What were you thinking?"

"What else could we have done, we were all busy preparing for her surprise party at sweet apple acres and she was so set on holding an after part for Gummy or finding out what we were doing, it would have ruined the surprise." Twilight said weakly not even beginning to make eye contact with Dolly; she was wilting trying to maybe will herself with magic into the ground.

"You could have told some pony that wasn't very busy to distract her until the party was done or even to indulge her even a tiny smidge to keep her hooves busy and away from the surprise party. None of you were there to keep her reassured that you; her friends, were there for her and in the end she forgave you without so much as an apology. Sure she might have doubted you, but you gave her more than enough reason too in the first place with the way you were all acting. Given the circumstances you cared more about the surprise party than you did about who it was for; some friends you were, Pinkie probably never let the hurt go and she is holding it inside of her as nobody bounces back from being on the edge of insanity that fast without repercussions. If you cared about her you wouldn't have to make any excuses even if she was going to find out about the party, I'm not letting you be her friend if you EVER hurt her that badly again. I already got Rainbow Dash to apologize and that's one out of five friends who didn't immediately write off her bounce back so easily. She needs to make ponies happy its part of who she is and if she can't make her closest friends happy, she can't do it at all. And if she can't do it at all…" Dolly sat staring straight ahead as she drifted off, getting up she flapped her wings and started a slow glide towards Novascoltia a town lit with street lights everywhere powered by slow burning wicks, Twilight felt tears start to form up in her eyes.

If Pinkie couldn't make them happy… it had taken Twilight a moment to realize she had made a huge error in how they handled Pinkie that day and Dolly was right, no pony could bounce back from that kind of sadness or conviction that they were unloved so fast without something being wrong even if she finally remembered it was her birthday, she did look kind of subdued after the birthday party and Dash did keep shooting her strange looks. Getting up Twilight quickly trotted after Dolly as she had a few more questions to ask her, if to learn a bit about how Pinkie actually functioned as obviously Dolly knew more about Pinkie than she did. Pinkie was selfless, she always put her all into making sure they were happy, she didn't care about whether she herself was happy or not.

They made their way into the small city, rows of houses that were partially business pass and streets were trotted until they came to a stop outside a restaurant that was still open, both of their stomachs grumbled and Dolly checked how many bits she had on hoof.

"What is Pinkie truly like and what is that stuff you used against the Kobold that came from her." Twilight saw a frown cross Dolly's face. "Pinkie has a varied history both sad and grand, like any element of Laughter you have to laugh when you are sad and you have to laugh when you are happy. I hope you don't think any less of Pinkie with what I'm about to tell you..."

()

Twilight never knew that Pinkie created all her partying stuff by hoof, she never bought any of it from a store. Nor did Twilight ever know that Pinkie was from a rich rock farming family. Every party Pinkie threw was almost literally made by scratch and with every ounce of her hard work thrown into the party preparations and then there was the darker side of Pinkie she never heard of. She wished she didn't know what dark things lurked in that poor bouncy pony's mind, but Dolly drove home the point with the exploding balloons being a clear sign of what Pinkie was more than capable of. Pinkie could make anything you can see at a party into something either more than it appears or even downright lethal, she didn't think she knew any ponies that could do lethal.

Pinkie actually made fantastic sounding stuff like poppers that teleport and streamers that stretched, the balloons were a bit iffy to think about though. The one thing that was left unexplained was the tube that Dolly had used against the Kobold; she said it was Pinkies biggest and deadliest mistake but wouldn't elaborate as to what the tubes did or what its initial purpose was in the first place. Twilight would have never believed Pinkie to be dangerous until she followed her around for one entire day, but this stuff was far more than she thought Pinkie was capable of. Twilight would believe that her friend's intentions were purely innocent in most of her endeavors and hopefully they could have a nice party if they ever made it back to Ponyville.

Dolly quietly took a mouthful of Pasta, chewed a bit and then with a swallow... she started on talking about a few Elements and how they could connect and work together, Twilight started to feel a bit better as she found the elements fascinating as they could partially tie into the cutie mark of the holder. The combination of love and passion had her blushing; she really did not need a rather descriptive of that particular combination of two ponies. The combination of honesty and integrity was also a particular highlight as it was edging closer to ten at night.

"To laugh in the face of danger requires courage." It was the most prominent phrase that fit with Dolly's and Pinkie's elements. Aside from that Dolly said one more thing that struck Twilight as odd. "No pony has ever held the element 'Harmony' itself, not even Celestia."

After the serious talk was done Dolly told Twilight a tale of a poor tailor who humbled a giant at least ten to twenty times bigger than her, it was a story Rarity would have loved to hear and it involved the element of humility, which teaches everyone as much as itself a valuable lesson not to overestimate or underestimate ones resourcefulness.

They quickly finished their meal and set out of one of the late open Restaurants in Novascoltia, Dolly was here to pick up something and they didn't come this far for nothing. Twilight flicked her mane to one side nervously and stared at Dolly before asking. "Are Zecora, Trixie and Derpy going to be okay?"

"If they aren't by the time we get back, Derpy is getting too lazy for her own good and I'll find some way to make her go on a muffin diet. Hmm... no muffins for three weeks, that might actually kill her from withdrawal alone. Actually forget I ever mentioned that, I like Derpy too much to do something that cruel to her." Dolly was seriously treating Derpy's love of muffins like it was a drug addiction; it was sadly actually pretty close to that. Twilight gave a light chuckle she had way too much on her mind, Celestia being too overbearing possibly close to the brink of going overboard, Pinkie hiding painful and dark secrets, her own ineptitude with friendship when it counted the most and so much more. She even caught on to something Dolly had said earlier.

"Wisdom… Empathy… Perseverance… are those the elements held by Trixie, Zecora and Derpy?" Dolly gave a small smirk; Twilight was at least learning. Everyone else Dolly chose for DERP was a lesser known element alongside herself. They were going to the Novascoltia post office, only Dolly would be able to get what they needed here something she left behind three years ago. "Derpy is always loyal to a package or letter until it no longer exists or is delivered. I like that about her she'll see anything through if she can, she prides herself on it. I'm sure you've heard Team forty's motto before."

"Yes, I have and I think it was Ditzy who did something silly when she saluted." Twilight saw Dolly smile wistfully at Ditzy being mentioned. "She's a nut and a half, attracting squirrels and living in trees with them sometimes, never has there been a mare wilder and more untamable than her."

"Which one is Wisdom? I assume Trixie, but she doesn't seem to be all too well read." Twilight saw that Dolly had become rather melancholy as they made their way down the street, towards a building that had a light inside and the sign above the doorway was an envelope with a letter in it. "Wisdom is actually a bit more complicated than just what you can read in books Nightlight, it takes time for it to truly show its boon and it takes even longer for its true power to peak. It's an element that most are slow to recognize for what it is. Its power is how best to use the knowledge the user already has, to bend the future in a myriad of small ways and inspire ideas and or new concepts from old ones. That particular element gains more power the longer the user lives, so far she's attempted to stop an ursa minor and failed, what did she gain from that? "

"Well she knows she's not currently capable of handling an ursa of any type and she knows that her wild boasting caused her a lot of problems, but what does that have to do with… oh." Twilight saw it even in a vaguest sense that Trixie's element was capable of, the purple mare thought on it as they went into the mailing office of Novascoltia.

Upon entering a bored looking charcoal colored earth pony colt with a dark purple mane sitting at the desk as they came in. He sat straight up and took notice of the visitors this late, a new policy had given a lot of ponies knew jobs and they were all night time jobs organized to coincide with Princess Luna's return. The colt suddenly pulled out the mail pony manual upon first seeing Dolly then stared at her with a bit of awe after reading off a section specifically made for Dolly appearing in any mailing office other than her own.

"Ms. Verance, what are you doing here in Novascoltia? Should I prepare for evacuation and stir up the local Wonderbolts? I'm not really good in a fight ma'am, haven't been on to many freelance missions to pick up enough experience." The colt was respectful if confused by Dolly's presence and she sighed. "They still have that protocol in the books? One time and you're listed in the manual as an emergency waiting to happen. If you have anyone on staff to spare then do it. If you haven't noticed the mail has been slow lately and someone is trying to take over by taking down mail ponies and their buildings. "

"Oh goddess this is bad, DIZZY DUH GET OUT HERE WE'VE GOT AN URGENT PROBLEM HERE!" A mumbling sound was hear from a nearby door frame, several crashing sounds where heard causing the colt to cringe slightly. The door behind the desk opened and out stumbled a Pegasus who managed to in a manner of seconds: trip over a chair, the counter itself, an envelope with nothing in it flipping back over the counter and finally tipping a potted plant spilling dirt everywhere before coming to a stop in front of the counter where she gave the colt a slightly dazed salute. Even that was followed by her stumbling and falling flat on her face. "Dizzy… Duh… reporting for wooo I… am feeling really off… ready for duty though."

"Dizzy that's how you always feel and it's one of the things I love about you, I hope we're still on for next week if there is one for us. I need you to go spread the word to prep for an evacuation and alert the local Wonderbolts that danger is on the way or is possibly almost on top of us." The colt sighed as Dizzy the grey coated Pegasus with strawberry red colored hair flew out without a single problem. Twilight had to ask a question with a bit of worry in her eyes. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah she's fine, only she learned to fly before she could walk; darned inconvenient for her really as nothing's wrong with her legs. It's just her special talent is being a natural born stumbling pony; it actually makes her really slippery to catch in the air and on the ground, she's really fun to dance with too. Now what else do you need of our services Doll-face?" The colt was waiting for more orders from a legend in mail pony history; one that he doubted would ever be erased from the manual even after her death.

End Chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Minotaur.

Pinkie's visit to the apple ranch late in the evening went as well as she had expected and tomorrow she had a hospital to visit, but for some reason the cold twitch wouldn't leave her spine. No matter, she traveled back to Sugar Cube Corner after watching the sun set with Applejack and her little sister Applebloom.

As she made her way into town she saw a familiar if odd sight of two grey coated blonde pegasi and Princess Luna chatting at a table at an outdoor diner.

Soon out of curiosity Pinkie made her way up to the table.

As they were talking into the onset of night Pinkie couldn't get over the feeling, like someone she knew personally was about to be injured badly and she wouldn't be able to help them. Trying to ignore the chill Pinkie continued chatting with Ditzy and Dixie who were waiting for Luna to get back from raising and setting the moon into motion.

()

In Hippolytus things were going downhill very slowly for the wargs and there were several reasons why the wargs advancement on the settlement was stopped cold. When they had attacked Hippolytus several times previously they didn't expect the town's forces to be exceptionally bolstered by a grey flying mare with a knack for invention and close range evasive combat, a zebra whose was good at quick fixing wounds and a unicorn with a decent range of useful tricks under her hat.

Also it didn't hurt that Hippolytus now had five trebuchets, two catapults and one side of the town being defended entirely by very peculiar blue flower alone, which were planted carefully into the ground by residents who were good at botany and or farming.

The trebuchets while not hitting much altogether created a shotgun affect when it launched sacks full of rocks bigger than turtles, only some of the rocks hit and they definitely looked to have hurt. The catapults were loaded down with hay bales that were lit ablaze by none other than the useful and needed Trixie.

The wargs that ran through the blue flowers didn't come out of them quite the same; apparently the larger the area the flower touches the quicker the affects. They were incapacitated by multiple different syndromes brought on by the Poison Joke. These effects include: Nausea, turning into cute little rabbits, having all their teeth fall out and their claws dulled, falling into a deep sleep, constant sneezing fits, legs that go ridiculously limp and that's only half of what the flowers wrought.

The other entrance to town however had been breached lightly by a bunch of injured and very angry wargs. Derpy joined in with the few ponies, hippogriffs an griffons that were capable of fighting and quite a few of the wargs targeted her based on magical direction that she was the biggest threat there.

The magic behind them would not let the wargs leave a mail pony unscarred which was easier said than done given Derpy's ability to stumble and bumble her way around. Derpy had the attention of at least five wargs at any given time and none of them could hit her, it was like she was just dancing and taking potshots at them when she could throwing a nasty hoof strike and sometimes slamming warg into the ground when she grappled onto one with her front two hooves.

Zecora was staying around the hotel happily handling the injured and when the long range defenses became useless she started moving them into the hotel in the center of town. She felt for them and their pain.

The tired and brave Trixie; as soon as the ranged defenses were useless, was careful not to attract the ire of the wargs like Derpy somehow had and was launching a fireworks spell that exploded in a flashy impacts blinding a few and scorching others.

Trixie was picked her targets well and timed her attacks for the right moments, she was actually carefully planning out each move and not only that, she was putting on a great show too. All the while Trixie was watching Derpy roll, flip and flop, she even did a break dance move as an effective counter attack. It was quite graceful in a way despite how clumsy Derpy was making herself look, she was kicking more flank than several of surrounding guards combined and she wasn't even going on the offensive. Also the surprised and enthused Trixie didn't think a pony's spine could actually bend like that.

()

"Doll-face?" Twilight queried with a raised eyebrow, it was a curious nickname to call someone considering what it meant. Currently Dolly's face was scarred.

"Yeah, it's my codename. The mailing organization takes its mail delivery and freelancing seriously. Sorry I didn't ask for your name, but I'm looking for a package that's been held here for three years and in this mailing office under my name." Dolly turned from twilight and addressed the colt who was had his entire attention focused on her.

"Oh sorry, I'm Noct Ernest. Other than my night time deskwork for this mailing office I'm a part time doctor. I get plenty of freelance jobs for it and it's a plus side that our mailing office doesn't have to pay medical if I'm good enough to patch up whatever injury pops up. I'll get right on finding that package immediately Ms. Verance, if you'll follow me." The charcoal colt quickly went into the back room to presumably do just that, showing that his flank symbol was a red cross overlaid on a white circle with black spots that looked like the moon.

Dolly motioned for Twilight to follow her and they stepped over the spilled dirt and made their way into the back room, when they did Twilight's eyes bulged out.

"Yeah, that's the same reaction everyone get's when they see one of our mail rooms for the first time." Dolly smacked Twilights jaw back into a closed position and she made her way passed the surprised purple pony.

Twilight while knowing that the amount of letters and packages were normal was thoroughly surprised by the other things in the mailing office. There were rooms with beds, a kitchen, an armory with lockers with several pony names on them and other multiple luxuries. As they followed Noct, Twilight looked into one of the ones and saw a snoozing male unicorn snuggling a Luna plushy to his body with a smile. Twilight turned her head forward as Noct opened a door that led to this mailing offices storage.

This room was a lot bigger than most of the building and Twilights eyes were so wide, how were they supposed to find what Dolly was looking for in all this? Dolly looked at the date on a few nearby by packages and made her way down the large rectangular room until she stopped at a nearby shelf and started to move things out of the way. Noct just stood by silently as Dolly seemed to know what she was looking for and where it was, the red coated mare soon pulled out a moderate size box with a flip open lid.

"Oka y now that we have this we can be on our…" An explosion shook the building slightly and Dolly's eyes narrowed. "I guess it's a good thing I agreed to alert the local Wonderbolts, what's the defensive ability of this facility?"

"The mailing room is impervious to magic and can withstand something the size of a land dragon stomping down on it, it's practically a bunker in here. However the other portions of this place can easily be destroyed and is not as protective." Noct saw the stern look on Dolly's face.

"Get as many ponies as you can into this part of the building, if it's anything really serious you might have to use the back door protocol on this place." The colt looked horribly put off by what Dolly had just suggested in the stiffest manner.

"And sacrifice the mail?" Noct couldn't believe what he was hearing; Dolly was actually willing to drop the mailing facility and all its important mail?

"Lives matter more than the mail does Doctor, I shouldn't have to tell you that. That said take care of any injured I send your way. However I wouldn't mind you saving the mail if you could, but don't be a hero… that's my job. Twilight you are to take this package; as a daring duly deputized dispatch of our mailing services by the association of being a part of DERP, directly to HIppolytus immediately. That package needs to reach the rest of the group's members, also take this with you as well." With that Dolly got a wince from Noct. Twilight was both hoofed the small box like package and Dolly's right hoof saddle bag that was loaded with the 'Pinkie Pie' gear; she shifted her left hoof saddle bag to her back over her weapons sheath.

"What… but I can help; you don't seriously expect me to just…" Twilight saw a look in Dolly's eyes, no room for discussion was what they said. Dolly made her way for the front door of the Novascoltia's post office. Twilight followed and caught up with Dolly, she came to a stop by her side at the entrance to stare at the streets of the town.

A few houses were on fire, a large mass of shadowy red eyed crows were everywhere attacking panicking ponies and at the end of the street facing the post office a large red cow headed beast walking on its hind hooves. It turned to face them and it gave a snort at them while the muscles on the arms at its side bulged angrily.

So far the only thing putting up much of a fight were three Wonderbolts that were slinging bolts of energy at clusters of crows and using nearby clouds to try and put out the fires with rain while making them firing lightning bolts at the big red monster to little effect as it started stomping towards the post office.

"Nightlight, please get out of here right now. I'm invoking the element of courage." A bright light shined from around Dolly. Twilight blinked the spots out of her eyes to see Dolly wearing a silver necklace much like the ones her friends wore; it had a black and white swirling colored gem in the shape of a shield at hanging at her chest. "WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE, I SAID GO AND DON'T LOOK BACK!"

()

In Canterlot, Princess Celestia lay in her bed napping finally getting some well deserved rest after a long day of keeping things running in Equestria. That was until she felt a sudden surge of energy, though distant it was immediately recognizable.

Her eyes snapped opened and she immediately sat up and moved to the balcony to stare into the distance. The element of Courage had never called upon her power in so long Celestia had thought she was relatively safe. Right now, she knew better as she hoped Twilight and Dolly were both okay. She did the only thing she could think to do when all her ponies were threatened; she took matters into her own hooves and since the threat warranted such a reaction from Dolly she was personally needed, she was not about to let another Element of Courage perish before their time. "Summon the guards!"

There was no way in the world Dolly would ever use that power unless the threat was effectively large enough to warrant it and from here she could even feel a sense of unease growing as an unknown energy source flared up as well within the same general area.

()

In Ponyville Luna felt and odd surge of energy to the north and just stared off into the distance, beside her the pink pony who had been throwing her a small nighttime party just sat and stared northward as well.

()

Turning away from the stunned Twilight, Dolly took off for the nearest pack of crows picking at a small earth pony foal who was crying as the sharp beaks were finding purchase on its coat. With a flash and sudden sheathing of her sword the crows dispersed into black mist. "Run to the post office and stay safe kid."

"Whoa…." The little colt watched as Dolly then took off to the sky to support the Wonderbolts. Dizzy Duh was being chased by a small swarm of crows. A few other pegasi were putting up some form of a fight with mid air bucks and some mild weather control, but it wasn't enough or near as potent. Taking heed to her advice the little colt started heading for the post office before more black birds came to attack him.

Dizzy did a loop; a barrel roll and even a Split S maneuver but that didn't shake them off. The shadowy crows were too fast and maneuverable to lose. They were almost nipping at the feathers on her wings, they were so close and in a flash of metal the entire cloud was sent dispersing into the atmosphere.

From the ground the red bull headed beast snorted as it watched the grey coats take to conversation, it couldn't let them plan a counter-attack. A large ball of fire started to form in its big five clawed fist that can easily transform into a hoof. It threw it at the two hoping to bring them down.

"Remember Dizzy once you get me enough cloud you are to immediately start helping others take shelter at the post office. Do what you think is right after that. By the way your cousin is a credit to my..." Dolly immediately stopped spun and pulled her Neighyashi out and thrust it forcefully into the ball of flame causing it to blast outward around both Dizzy and her. Their bodies and feathers were singed as the heat washed over them, despite the flames missing them personally.

"Forget what I was saying and just hurry Dizzy, Remember I'll need it at the soonest convenience." She stared down at the red bull creature with its two large jutting horns pointed at her and its black fur rippling down its back in anger. It was a Taurus or in other words a Minotaur, a magical race with more physical strength than a group of earth ponies and more magical ability then most unicorns could even bother to match. They were thought to be extinct but apparently one or two were still alive even to this day, this one in particular seemed powerful as the end of her Neighyashi was still glowing red hot from dispersing that ball of flame.

The creature stood snorting with displeasure as the streets around him burned; one of the winged creatures he hated was powerful enough to disperse his magic with physical force alone? It would be a grand battle of the ages and he would have his revenge on at least one of their kind when he emerged victorious. The mail pony would suffer before she died and he doubted she could handle his magical force, for he was an all powerful Taurus named Malice! He was one who has survived since those ancient wars of the past.

His tail twitched and he held up his clawed hand focusing a great mass of magic into them, he gave out a roar and more crows poured from the shadowy sphere he held above his head as several lightning blast struck his thick red skin harmlessly. The Wonderbolts were but gnats to him and he'd swat them as soon as he was done taking care of 'HER'. Soon more than just shadowy crows poured from the sphere it was followed by a swarms of vicious shadow harpy's but in lesser number which was more than made up by their size, they were enlarged vulture like creatures in many a way partly resembling griffons.

They all surged upwards and chose their targets at random, anyone who was capable of fighting even in a little was here and the Wonderbolts were probably the most effective source of help Dolly had. At the moment they were put off by the sudden surge of creatures all baring red eyes and shadowy forms and if things weren't bad enough the harpy's could fire beams of darkness from their mouths.

Dolly dodged around the first few arcane blasts and noticed how the Wonderbolts were handling the new change up by the Minotaur, its magical power had to be absolutely massive to summon this many dangerous entities. The few Wonderbolts that were in the air weren't taking it so well having to use more tricky maneuvers and combined electrical energy blasts, their team effort proved successful in some spots but it wasn't near enough. They were soon joined by several more Wonderbolts who looked to have finally woken up and were fresh for the fight.

Swooping in Dolly let loose a flash of her blunt weapon as she passed by one of the harpy's blowing off one of its shadowy talons before it could sink into a Wonderbolts back. She turned around and immediately guarded against the other talon that clutched at her braced hoof tightly; it was strong enough to almost start warping the metal around left hoof. Before she could deal with the one legged shadow Harpy personally, several blasts of energy from off to the side blew it to pieces.

"Thanks for the assist lady, just returning the favor." The Wonderbolt sounded young as he flew by before performing a Spark Drill maneuver into a cloud of shadow crows; he was rapidly spinning in mid air and holding his hooves in front of him creating a large cone of energy before him. Arcs of lightning shot off the well cone of energy and ripped the magically summoned creatures to shreds by the dozens as he plowed through them.

Dolly gave a nod and turned to meet an oncoming wing of crows; she quickly swung twice destroying five enclosing crows as she flew by them. She soon took out a sixth with a roll by slapping it straight towards the ground with one of her wings. She stopped to hover looking around for anymore support she could lend while she waited for Dizzy to get back. She could see into one of the nearby burning buildings upper floors and saw that a unicorn was trapped under the support structure; she appeared to be trying to cast a water spell to put out the surrounding fires but it was too hot for the spell to work. Dolly darted towards the slowly collapsing structure only to have a harpy quickly take to following her towards the house, the longer things went on the more painful the burning sensation in the back of Dolly's head got.

Flying at street level with a Harpy hot on her heels, Dolly swerved up slightly and stop dead in the air clamping her wings to her sides to drop straight down for a few feet before catching herself and flying straight towards the burning building. The harpy sailed over her and a second harpy slammed into coming from around the corner in the streets corner junction, if Dolly had kept flying straight she would have been caught between them.

From above, a weather pony pegasus took notice of Dolly's maneuver and moved carefully above the cloud he was working over several of the burning houses. He gave it a sharp buck sending a blast of lighting through the two crashing shadow harpy's. One of them evaporated, leaving the other on the ground slowly getting up, it was recovering quickly. A second later one of the fighting Wonderbolts flew in and let the remaining harpy have it with two blasts of electricity to the back. It let out a screech of pain as it slowly evaporate and thrashed against the ground.

Dolly flew up and quickly swooped into the building, ignoring the flames as they licked at her. She really disliked burning buildings and this wasn't the first time she's had to rescue some pony or creature from one.

()

Twilight ran down the street and ducked into a building as a Harpy tried to get her with its claws. She was making sure the levitated box stay with her and it was getting rather hard as the red eyed shadows were attacking every pony in sight. She levitated the box hard into the shadow harpy's face knocking it to the ground before retreating.

What was so important about the box anyway? It didn't matter; she trusted Dolly's judgment as she made for the outskirts of the town only to witness a pack of shadow creatures trying to keep a crowd of ponies from escaping the town's destruction.

Okay she had to think what could she do? How had Dolly invoked her element from wherever it was? Well Dolly had told Twilight that it was connected to the pony that earned it, but also said that the element could be dangerous if abused. She didn't need hers at any time in the past so why was she considering it now? Was it the power she could have been wielding? Well that made her feel horrible; maybe that's why she had the element of magic? Because she wouldn't abuse the power given to her?

In any case she had to exit town now and those ponies wouldn't get past that wall of dark creatures without her, she needed to come up with an offensive use for one of her spells or something… wait she had Dolly's bag and it was loaded down with Pinkie's strange stuff. One of those things wasn't entirely explained, thus she knew she shouldn't use it; the ballistic balloons would have to do.

The instructions were simple enough in using them, just don't inhale anything from inside the balloons and once active don't pop them anywhere near yourself. After inflating four balloons with a quick speed and tying off the ends with her magic, she levitated the explosively charged balloons close to herself. Who knew a small amount of carbon dioxide could cause such an explosive reaction inside a rubbery inflated sphere? She wondered how Pinkie could create something like this and if it was her fault that the pink pony had done so in the first place. Then again she has seen Pinkie in confetti launcher equipment that definitely weren't sold in stores, was that another one of Pinkie's weird inventions and how did she work it without using her hooves?

(Pinkie Interruption)

"Well duh! The confetti suit was based off... no wait… that would be spoiling the plot, oopsie! No more from me until after it comes up later." Pinkie smiled slightly as she shut down the background screen before anyone saw what was on it.

"But I work it easily enough, Earth pony magic and all that." Pinkie gave a grinning smile hoping the readers buy her explanation for the time being.

(Pinkie Interruption end)

Taking carefully aim at the swarm of shadows the adult ponies were trying to puncture through, Twilight let out a yell to warn them about what she was going to do. Soon the wall of shadow crows and harpies were ripped apart in four explosive blasts, the ponies took advantage in the lull of blocking shadows and started running out of the warzone that was currently Novascoltia.

Soon Twilight followed the escaping ponies levitating a box carefully alongside her. She was heading back towards Hippolytus.

As she crested the hill overlooking Novascoltia heading back towards Fetlock Forest a huge explosion of bright light shot up behind her near where the post office was. The glow was of a golden color and the pillar seemed to be made of pure lightning heading for the stars. There was also a horrible scream echoing from there, she turned away and made way for Hippolytus hoping Dolly was alright for Derpy's sake. The muffin loving pony really wanted to learn more about Dolly, even she herself hadn't learned much except Dolly was the Element of Courage and a few interesting facts about other lesser known elements being seen throughout history.

What Dolly knew of the elements of harmony was also rather surprising, Twilight would make sure to hug her friends tightly when this was all over.

()

Dolly had rescued several ponies up until the point she parked herself outside the mailing office where Dizzy brought down a large chunk of cloud. So far Dolly had been dodging death and saving lives at an effectively staggering rate that her stamina couldn't keep up with much longer. But she no longer had to keep saving ponies; she took the cloud from Dizzy and told her to move away as the Minotaur came into view staring at her specifically as she slowly crushed the cloud between her hooves and a monumental electrical buildup started around her.

The Minotaur known as Malice just snorted, he had been just randomly having fun by destroying parts of Novascoltia with waves of shadow summons. Of course the upside effect of doing so was that he was tiring out a strong opponent. He has yet to succeed with what he set out to do yet and it appears she was going to get in his way.

Zecora had asked Dolly if she had a gift… well, she had two. One made her resilient but not immune to poisons and the other was something she was about to reveal. Pegasus magic, in its rawest and most painful form was starting to crackle around her. Her coat stood out jaggedly, her white hair slowly started to glow blue and the black hair from her tail started to kink up.

The Wonderbolts needed their suits to survive holding and shooting lightning with their hooves. Dolly had no such luxury as a suit would dilute the powers she was about to unleash. She needed the full spectrum of everything if she was to repel this magical pawn from destroying any more of the town.

Speaking of Wonderbolts, one had finally noticed what Dolly was doing and he stopped and stared wide eyed as her hooves were slowly coming together. The pressure of energy was just unreal and a normal pony shouldn't be able to handle that much stress, much less a thousand volts and quite a few amps above any level that Dolly must now be experiencing.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? You're going to die if you keep that up!" The Wonderbolt obviously had the right idea to worry. As what Dolly was doing would have almost killed any other Pegasus that wasn't wearing a specially made suit. To say it wasn't harming her body or causing her undue amount of pain would have been a bold faced lie, because the following blinding light of an electrical beam shooting to the heavens should have killed her. It just made her give out a horrific scream before the pillar of energy disappeared leaving a rather odd looking form behind that shook with electricity as it trailed in sparks across writhing shifting form in a small dense fog.

What the Wonderbolt and few others were witnesses to was the twisted altered form of a pony.

The clouds unfurled revealing that they were actually where Dolly's wings should be, soft gentle puffs of white instead of feathers. In her forehead was a solidified bolt of white jagged lightning, like Dolly had just acquired a unicorn horn made of pure energy. Her tail having turned into a tornado swayed creating a small breeze behind her. When she opened her eyes as she stood up they were glowing solid grey, her body was making jerking motions and when she exhaled a few snowflakes flew from her mouth. Her coat was the oddest change as it seemed to have turned entirely blue and slightly transparent like water, as her fur rippled it sounded like falling rain. There soon was a storm quickly swirling overhead where Dolly stood.

Without saying a word Dolly floated into the air without moving her wings and shot towards the surprised Minotaur. What was more surprising was that Dolly's remaining saddle bag was perfectly fine as was her sheathed weapon and her armored bracers. She was still the same size despite the fact that she now looked like she was made out of multiple different weather patterns.

She slammed into the Malice's arm hooves first with a meaty thud, before the Minotaur brought his arm in and thrust it outwards with a snort. It sent the mare spiraling through three buildings causing the cast on her leg finally shatter.

Slowly the mare herself floated back up with an angry twitch in her glowing eyes. It was hard to tell if that twitch was in anger as the rest of her was jerking about at random with sparks of lightning tracing around her body. Apparently she didn't seem to be in any pain even after being put through six walls.

The transformation technically doesn't fix problems with the body; it just temporarily nullifies any pain and made one resilient to damage for as long as it could last. In trade Dolly was numb to feeling much of anything done to her and was in a completely different state of mind.

She shot forward in a blaze of speed raring to attack the Malice again; he simple snorted and punched his right fist downward at the right moment. He had a small smirk on his face before he frowned; he missed hitting the winged abomination? He received his answer when a blast of energy struck up at him staggering him slightly; he actually felt the hit that time and received a hard buck to the chest that was a lot more damaging as it created the sound of thunder that rattled his mostly impervious bones with a heavy shockwave as the transformed pony kicked off of him.

Sturdy was the word for a Minotaur, more strength and magic then an earth pony and unicorn combined and multiplied by two. To actually feel any pain was something of a surprise to Malice, Then again he was dealing with a pony who obviously took to direct confrontation whereas the rest of their species in the past just used subterfuge and cunning. Mostly said subterfuge and cunning happened when a pony was on the run, to actually have the fight brought to him brought some kind of sick joy to Malice's heart.

Rare was it that a Minotaur could face such a small opponent and receive even hints of a good fight. Forming a fireball Malice slung it at the form in the sky absorbing lightning into itself. Said form turned away from absorbing energy out of the clouds and shot a beam of white energy that immediately dissipated his fireball and continued towards him. He brought his left arm up to block the beam and received a nasty sensation of his entire arm starting to freeze from his clenched clawed fist to his elbow.

His arm being frozen was followed by a flash and suddenly appearing in the blink of an eye he was hit with a left hoof to the face and his head was actually turned with the blow. He was quickly struck several more time by a right left combo, before he slammed his frozen left arm to the ground and slapped the buzzing little gnat away from his face with the back of his right hand. The mare recovered and stared him down.

The ice covering his left arm flew off in a sound of splintering glass and in his right hand he was already summoning more crows. Said crows were proven useless as the mare before him acted like a giant bug zapper, but a curious thing happened as Malice watched his crows burn in the electrical fields of the weather formed mare.

Malice took keen notice that the lightning bolt in her head receded slightly with each show of power, giving Malice a bit of insight into how long the little problem could hold that form. Apparently attacking or defending herself used very little energy, but getting hurt causes the solidified lightning in her forehead to shrink faster. He saw the lightning bolt less then it was for a scant second or so before she kicked off of him.

She needed raw energy from the sky to keep up with him; all he would have to do is make sure he could separate her from the sky and thus her power. Her power wouldn't last forever and it was only a matter of time. A fog rolled in and her eyes disappeared into it, Malice would not lose to this winged one.

()

While the fight with the Malice was going on, the shadowy summoned creatures were being dealt with and without reinforcements they were falling fast. In the shadows Dizzy Duh watched as Dolly reared back and spat deadly icicles from her hidden cover in the fog. The icicles appeared to be made out of her own spit as they flew at the Taurus; she was busy writing down every detail of the fight and was hovering above the ground ready to move further away from the battle.

Dolly was getting thrashed out there, as seen by the fact that she was grabbed by the hind leg and slammed into the ground back first and then had a big meaty fist slam into her. Dizzy winced but she kept up to date on the amount of injuries Dolly should be incurring.

The mare watched as the weather formed mare struck the Minotaur back with a tornado of bladed winds from her tail lightly cutting up the red beast. Dizzy was cheering Dolly on to victory, even if the fight was one sided and Dolly didn't seem to be doing nearly enough damage.

"Dizzy, what are you doing? Come on, The Wonderbolts are busy evacuating and we need to get back to the post office to put it on lockdown." Looking back to Noct she stared him stiffly in the eyes.

"Go ahead; I'll follow in a minute." Turning back to the fight Dizzy eyes widened as the outcome went south. It was said that when Dolly loses it's always a pyrrhic victory for the opponent and if it wasn't it was a good idea to avoid what brought her down. The cow beast slapped her hard and she slammed into the wall her lightning formed horn shrunk down to a glowing sliver at the top of her skull.

Dolly form flickered and her body started reverting from head to tail. Her head started to return to normal with the last flecks of the solidified lightning bolt disappearing from her head. Her mane lost its tint becoming entirely white once more. Her breathing stopped giving off frost and became labored. The color slowly drained away from her transformed body as water splashed to the ground falling from her, seeming to have acted as an armor leaving behind a pale battered form. The fog lifted from her wings showing they weren't in prime condition. Her black haired tail became it's once silken straight self the winds died down.

()

Control, she had lost it. She didn't have any of the necessary control of the transformation to keep it going or use it effectively; she felt heavy and could feel the life fluids leaking from numerous injuries on her body mostly around her chest, stomach and even worse off broken leg. She felt a solid bruise running down her back, her hind leg was almost killing her in blinding pain, the feathers on her left wing were charred in half and her right wing was paralyzed and limp from all the electric discharge.

Every previous element of courage has had a horrendous death awaiting them, was this her time? She hadn't said near enough to her mailing team, her mailing team was her family. Was she finally going to see her adopted sister in the afterlife? Her breathing was shallow and she started coughing up blood, she had to have some pretty bad internal injuries alongside possible spinal damage. She couldn't feel her danger sense going off; it had likely over loaded in the ensuing fight.

The only thing left was the power of the element of courage itself; its light would only protect her for so long. She still had so much left to give even if she was barely stand on one hind leg, flapping her left wing barely keeping herself standing.

Malice snorted in amusement, she had managed to injure him. He had Injuries which wouldn't heal with magic, a curious side effect of being actually struck by the wounded mare who still stood before him with her cold wild grey eyes and her left hoof on her sheathed weapon. Her armoring had been knocked from her hooves in the ensuing short lived scuffle and were lying somewhere on the ground, but it was inconsequential to Malice as they didn't help her all too much.

This creature was an impressive specimen of her race if Malice did say so himself, but she was beneath him now. He lifted his massive right hand a glowing black orb formed and he sent ten shadow crows to finish her off. What the quickly waning pony did next surprised him.

"Courage… impulse." Dolly slammed the tip of her neighyashi into the ground propping herself up on her blunt weapon. Her necklace gave off a bright flash that charged through the sword and sent out a blinding shockwave that dispersed the swarming shadow crows with the power of her element alone fighting off the darkness.

No matter, Malice thought. He would send a harpy, she couldn't possible have enough power to finish something like that off and she was quite literally balancing on her last leg with one burnt wing flapping futilely to keep her standing.

Dolly gripped her neighyashi in both hooves, she hobbled forward using the sword trying to get in range to do a last ditch effort attack. But to do so, she had to go through a shadow harpy. The Minotaur was too strong, she had barely scratched him and only her last move could possibly do enough damage. If only she could get close enough, was the only thing on her mind.

"Light… sets with… ILLUMINATION." With an upward golf swing of her neighyashi in both hooves, only a small spark popped off the sword. With the sword still raised she quickly reversed the sword to prop herself up once again and continue to shamble forward at a abysmal pace despite the seemingly untouched shadow harpy baring down on her.

Seconds before it reach her a blue line formed on the shadows harpies body and it bisected in two, a thin line of dirt could be seen along the ground leading up to Malice with a large gash in his cheek almost reaching his left eye which he quickly clutched at in pain.

Dolly gritted her teeth and continued to press forward once she was in range the Minotaur finished clutching at his marred face, his claws heated up and his hand came away from his face having cauterized the injury. He watched as the mare with both hooves on her weapon drew a small circled around her on the ground slowly, her element of courage remained undamaged and unblemished through all this. The colors of the gem in the element were slowly swirling and soon the gem turned entirely gray, a light glow formed around Dolly.

As she finished the circle time slowed down for Malice as he was reminded of something of the past, the wars where warrior ponies of the night were a slowly disappearing breed came back in full force to wage battle with his kin. If anything Celestia knew how to train the night guard with Luna's methods and in honor of her sealed sister.

Unfortunately it was too late for Malice to dodge or realize the damage Dolly could still do, one doesn't avoid a goddess or trains to bring one down without the ability to kill. Most ponies wouldn't stomach blood or be ready for a fight.

"FAS… TI… AER!" Blood didn't make a lick of difference when almost half of Dolly's neighyashi burrowed its way towards the Taurus's heart within the blink of an eye. She had covered the distance between them spectacularly and had stabbed to kill, her element had swiftly stopped glowing and it faded from existence and off of Dolly's chest. She scrabbled to gain purchase on the Minotaur she barely managed to knock over.

Malice let out and agonizing scream as he fell on his back, he felt an indescribable pain in his chest. But with a minute of thrashing he finally calmed down and sat up to grab at the mare weakly clutching at his chest and the blunt sword rammed into it. He gripped Dolly with his right hand by her upper torso and neck squeezing her to the point she started choking, causing her to lose grip of the sword. He slowly stood up, which was hard for him to do when a quick stream of blood started falling from his chest and all. Her sword had stopped just short of hitting his heart; she had failed to gain victory from defeat.

Dolly knew the technique only because it was capable of being done with ones bare hoof. With a weapon it can be more or less deadly depending on where one aims the weapon, her aim was impeccable to get between his ribs but she wasn't strong enough to get her sword far enough into him to ultimately drop him. Her vision was started to blur and it was fading as the monstrous red creature held her aloft in the air and snorted his pained disdain at the injury he had just received.

"If… don't… kill… regret it…" Dolly's eyes weren't fearful they were only suggesting scorn and that he should make her death quick or else. She watched as the beast narrowed its eyes at her, her mind was racing trying to figure out why it didn't just immediately crush her windpipe and be done with it.

Lifting up his left hand Malice grabbed at the sword sticking into his chest, he wrenched it out with a sickening squelching sound and tossed the sword carelessly away. He swiftly slapped his chest with a flaming hand cauterizing the wound even if it was still agonizingly painful; he was resilient in his agony by being of a larger size then Dolly was. Dolly was almost like her namesake, a rag doll in his clutches when he tightened his grip for a second causing her to scream out in pain.

Malice thought of killing her now, but that would have been too easy, too simple for her. No, he had to make this insignificant little bug pay for injuring him so grievously. He had plans for torturing this impudent mare; he wanted to see the fire in those eyes die in fear.

As Malice was about to rip off one of Dolly's hind legs with his left hand, he stopped and felt a strong presence. He was in a weakened state and would always have an Achilles heel in the area around his heart now until he could recover from at least some of the damage that was dealt to him.

On the horizon he saw a bright white pony with wings and a horn and his bravado faltered, he lifted his left claw to the sky and encased himself in a wall of dark purple energy. When the solid wall of energy disappeared in a flash, Malice was gone and he took along a mare that last was seen barely struggling in his grip.

It would only be a minute or two later before Celestia touched down on the ground after scattering the last of the shadow summons in a burst of light. As she marched along the ground she stopped to witness a dizzy looking pony stumble and tripped her way up to the sunny goddess with a sad look on her face. In the background ponies were busy putting out fires and rescuing others buried under the rubble of a few buildings felled by the sudden magical beast attack. This pony just looked up at her and proffered a blunt blood covered weapon that pierced the tough hide of a Taurus where ice, wind and lightning had little effect to halt its rampage.

()

Twilight had often wondered if making friends with animals was as easy as Fluttershy made it out to be, now she was riding a bear and at the behest of a friendly if familiar Brownie sitting on its head. Two miles outside Hippolytus Twilight got off taking the right saddlebag and box with her and she turned to the ever helpful peaceful brownie.

"Thanks for the help, but remember not every pony is the same and not all of us are nice. You have to keep a slightly suspicious nature because not everyone is as friendly as we were, thanks again for the ride and please don't let me take too much advantage of your kindness again." The brownie shook her head in understanding of Twilights word, not all things were evil and not all things were good. It depends on whether or not the brownie could actually look creatures in the eye and see no deceit or evil, the kobold might have made them a little sour to visitors in their forest and the brownies were still apologetic for putting an arrow into the flank of one of their nice plant eating saviors.

Twilight was a bit more humble with thoughts of the elements of kindness. Sometimes too much kindness is a bad thing, even if she got a ride on a grizzly bear back through Fetlock Forest which had put her on the fast track back to Hippolytus.

Speaking of said square shaped town, she could see the outer walls as she galloped up to it with three packs on her back and a floating hinged box next to her head. The little place didn't look to good from the outside, smoking patches of ground littered the entire area around and there was dried blood in places where a battle was obviously fought and everything seemed too quiet for her taste as she made her approach to the south gate. She stopped momentarily to goggle at the large amounts of poison joke guarding the gateway; apparently Trixie was good at summoning flowers.

Being careful not to be joked again, Twilight made her way around the flowers and into the gate. What she saw there had caused her eyes to widen with disbelief. Every single warg that had attacked Hippolytus had been captured and were in wooden cages that looked to have been made out of catapults and some trebuchets.

There also seemed to be a party going on and her acquaintance and two friends were all okay.

Trixie looked to be clawed and scraped up a bit, which was obviously patched up by Zecora using the local fauna given the leaves covering the other unicorns' body. She was getting a nice crowd around her but she wasn't bragging, she was just stating her small part in a larger battle. Twilight stopped to listen in and was surprised to find out that Derpy was the mare of the hour.

The grey mail mare barely had two scratches on her and was getting a hardy slap on the back by the local Hippolytus guards, hippogriff, pony and griffon alike. Apparently Derpy seemed to have been a large target like their one mail mare that mysteriously disappeared after a rather nasty Warg incursion started up.

The last they heard of the mail pony was when said pony had been curse by the wargs and couldn't bear to stay in Hippolytus in fear that they might hurt some pony. Incidentally Dipsy met that particular mail pony on a train bound for vamponies.

Looking at Zecora though, Twilight could see she looked melancholy. It probably had to do with the zebra statuette that looked to have split clean in half right next to her. Even Luwi the local medic and doctor couldn't seem to cheer her up even if he was complementing her on her great healing skills.

Somewhere into her wandering stare Derpy had noticed Twilight. It didn't take long for Trixie or Zecora to follow her in moving towards the purple mage. All three of them seemed a little worried to see her there without Dolly and a little more than curious about the box she was levitating.

"What's wrong Zecora?" Twilight was not going to get sidetracked while Zecora was looking down in the dumps.

"It's nothing new to me, my statue broke and its powers were set free. It's saved a life of someone who was injured badly, the power of the statue I would give up gladly. Only now it has split apart, maybe you can put it back together or at least think of some way to start. But a bigger question I have to ask, where is our good friend Dolly in whose presence we don't bask." Zecora had set the little statue down in front of Twilight and looked pleadingly at the mare.

Twilight's magic stuck the two halves of the statue together, she wasn't sure what powers it held before it split in half and couldn't put that back in it. All Twilight really did was restore the objects form, one too many cracked vases from Rainbow crashing into her library forced her hoof in learning a repair spell.

"I thank you for that, maybe I won't be so smiley but my mood is no longer flat." Zecora sat down waiting for an answer with Derpy and Trixie who joined her in seating position in front of Twilight.

Twilight bit her bottom lip hoping this would go over well more curious thing to explain about the as of yet unopened box along with Dolly's right hoof saddle bag.

()

Pain… blinding pain… if she was feeling pain then that meant she wasn't dead yet. She didn't know how long she was out or how many hours or maybe even days had passed. Blurry vision started to come into view.

Slowly Dolly's eyes cracked opened and she wished she hadn't seen what she already had, above her were three parallel axes on pendulums. Judging by their positioning two were designed to flay limbs from a body before the last one gutted whatever's left a few minutes later, if said thing is even alive after dismemberment. Aside from the obvious dangerous sharp implements hanging above her head she felt a chill filter through the room.

Looking at the rooms' stone walls and the high placed small windows, it didn't take Dolly long to figure out where she was. Shifting parts of her body experimentally she checked herself for damage, first thing of good note was that she didn't have frostbite and that she was relatively warm if slightly chilled.

After a bit more wiggling she had learn a lot more facts of her situation. Her spine was still bruised and her innards had been healed slightly, possibly by magical means. Her outwards injuries were clotted over and itching slightly, her back right leg was still broken and moving it caused agonizing pain to shoot throughout her body. She gritted her teeth and refused to scream and settled for a wince, at least her leg seemed to have mended some.

Now she checked her senses, looking around she took in the reason why she couldn't move, she was strapped down to a stone slab with an engraving on it that wasn't entirely visible considering she was on top of it. She also happened to see she was lying on her left hand saddle bag and empty sheathe, she didn't bother to think about what the straps were made out of because she didn't want to go down that train of thought.

The food in the saddle bag was most likely crushed, but it didn't matter as the food was made to last even in its current condition of being squashed under her body. There also was the curious prodding sensation around her left wing.

To her right were a lever and pulleys and cranks that probably set up the swinging axes. To her left was a staircase leading to a large wooden door and other then that the room was particularly empty.

Things she took note of, she was in a castle tower, she still had her left hand saddle bag and her sword sheathe. The Minotaur had captured her and most likely sought to give her a torturous death, he kept her barely alive for this moment and…

Lifting her front left hoof the pressure tightened on her right hoof.

And if she moved one hoof the other would have pressure put on it, she had enough slack to reach her left hand saddle bag and possibly move it around but it wouldn't do much good to throw a bag at a Minotaur. She could possible get contents from her bag, but it was nothing but food.

If anything she should probably eat a final meal and be done with it. A small part of her didn't want to be done with it and insisted that she wanted to get out of this situation. She certainly didn't see how she was going to do that, she also understood why the Minotaur left her saddle bag with her.

It was to make her uncomfortable as possible. It was just adding insult to injury and Dolly still had facial scars to prove the injury portion, but insulting her actually took quite a lot. She'd find a way out of this or else she wasn't the mare her mail ponies looked to as a leader. If she doesn't make it out of this situation she knows that at least Derpy would take up the torch and she'd persevere… or at least Dolly hopes the enigmatic merry muffin munching mare would last. She really needed to do a background check on Derpy if and when she survives this; it was a thought more out of curiosity than distrust.

She heard a thunder footfall and shifted her towards the wooden door and it slammed open. In stalked big mighty and gruesome, upon seeing her awake a smile slowly overtook his face. Okay, now Dolly could feel insulted.

He walked over to the lever with his thunderous hoof steps striking the stone floor, lifting his left hand he wrapped it tightly around the large lever and gave it a stiff jerk. Above her the left and right axes started swinging, while the middle one stayed still.

With the deed done the Minotaur turned his back on the strapped down mare and started to leave the room.

"Mistake..." When dolly spoke she hadn't realized how dry her throat was, she really needed something to drink. She watched as the thing chuckled as it slammed the door to the room and left her to her fate, not caring about her final spoken word. Soon the middle axe would start swinging and thus the pressure was on for Dolly to figure a way out of the situation.

()

Pinkie Pie felt her knee get all pinched up late at night, but she couldn't describe the feeling of why it was doing that. Maybe it woke her up from a 'Night Terrror', but she didn't remember having a nightmare. She sat up in bed feeling a strange, a shift, a shudder and a bit of her mane going limp.

Deciding it was nothing Pinkie went back to sleep with a smile on her face.

()

Spitfire lead flyer of the Canterlot Wonderbolts was investigating the scene with coffee; some ponies had perished in the attack on Novascoltia. The number of deaths could have been a lot higher if it wasn't reported that a white haired mare with a black tail and red coat hadn't been there. Spitfire paid particular interest as it sounded like an old friend she first met in her circus days had a part in fending off what was reportedly a minotaur assaulting the town with magical summons and fire.

Looking over her shoulder she could see Celestia looked frazzled and was organizing all medical personnel that the town had to offer. One of the best doctors in town was giving it his all the help with the injured.

It wasn't long before the mare of the night itself arrived on scene with a questioning look on her face until she saw the devastation done to the place; she offered her own aid immediately when she saw her sister so discontent.

"Dolly what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Spitfire said slowly, remembering a day of stone gargoyles being beaten back by a mare she saw as a hero. Then again, the elements of courage in history were always thrusting themselves towards good causes at life and limb until nothing was left.

They lived bravely and died quickly for a righteous cause, but Dolly wasn't like that. Spitfire knew that whatever happened, Dolly wouldn't just stay down and die.

()

The room was covered in shadows and it was dark as a swishing sound could be heard.

"Back and forth did the pendulum swing, the last death tolls it did ring.

The middle axe descended into a bloody chunk of meat sending the blood flying into stone walls, on a slab of solid stone arcanely carved a lonely silent spirit falls.

Nothing moved in the room, nothing likes the smell of doom."

End Chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Ascension.

Trotting along the snowy slopes the grey mare sighed and stopped in the middle of a rocky out cropping and turned around. She was already having enough problems finding places to get extra sleep; she didn't need to lose more over some stupid ponies that wouldn't leave well enough alone.

"Would you two please stop following me, you're going to get yourselves killed if you plan to even try and survive the stuff I do on a daily occasion when I'm not sleeping." Dipsy Duh hadn't been able to get rid of Goldie and Sham. She wished the two earth ponies would wise up and go back to their lives in snowy hick town in the middle of a frozen wasteland next door to Mangora Mountain which she was almost finally managing to reach. She had two saddle bags of supplies, and sticking out of one was a staff ending in the wood wrapping around a large bubble shaped jewel. Other than that she was simply wearing a snow cap and scarf.

"Ach, you neigh be getting rid o' me that easily! It's that prissy hair lover you should be having worries about she's more likely to die then I am." Sham was sober for the most part of the trip of following around Dipsy. Sham Wreck's forest green coat had been restored to its natural appearance by her annoying trichofillyac friend Goldenrod. Sham's hair was shiny and silky smooth for once in her entire lifetime instead of rough and hardly maintained. Sham had hated the fact that she was too bruised to beat off the busy body who was following her following Dipsy into the dangerous mountainous terrain. The earth pony was carrying a full complement of survival gear and was wearing a winter camouflage suit that covered her flank and her front legs warmly.

A landslide happened nearby and stopped short of the two mares that were three feet apart. Both Dipsy and Sham stood there as the second members of the unwanted followers of the sleepy Pegasus popped up out of the snow with stocking cap, a scarf and a sweater. She didn't have supplies or anything more than a bag of hair care products slung over her torso.

"Ow… why are we going to a place so dangerous and cold for anyway? This freezing cold temperature can't be good for my mane and I feel like my tail might fall off." Goldie picked herself up out of the snow and her long brown hair still touched the ground as she made her way toward the two mares.

"I swear ye' needn't be following us any, because mountain climbing is a real mares sport and this mare knows where the action is!" Sham put her hoof around Dipsy who was rather uncomfortable with the close contact, not to mention the anti-flight magic that prevented her from just flying to her next destination.

"NEWS FLASH, I never asked for either of you to follow me up here nor did I ask for any help with what I'm doing out here. Which brings me to an even bigger question, why am I not stopping you from doing something so horribly stupid? Is it my curiosity in how long it will take you to die from the numerous things I'm bound to run into? Now I know how Dolly feels when she sends us into dangerous territory." Dipsy Duh was cross with these two mares for multiple reasons, the main one being that they weren't 'Team Forty Mailing Ponies'. The others reasons were these ponies were not entirely trained for survival situations in extreme conditions, Sham might have some combat ability but she was a berserker at best and Goldie was about as strong as a stick of butter, but that was only if her hidden talents didn't pan out to being more then she appeared.

"Name one thing lass, one thing that a Rocky Clan pony can't handle with their bare hooves!" Sham lifted a hoof out of the snow and flexed a muscle. Dipsy had to admit she could come close to Ditzy in having half a brain.

"Have you ever dealt with flying spaghetti monsters, dream demons or two crazy mares on a camping trip to hell itself? I swear I can't even begin to tell you why I've labeled those things as noodle incidents and put them in deep dark corners of my mind." Dipsy wasn't kidding about dealing with those things, but that last one was the worst. To explain it in simplicity, imagine spending two weeks in a place worse than the Ever Free Forest. Now imagine spending it with a mare who is insane on purpose and one who was born of insanity. Those weeks with Screw Ball and Ditzy were almost the worst in her life, but at least she made a good friend in Screw Ball, who was quite a nice mare despite being birthed by a psychotic male chimera parent without a mother.

"Flying spaghetti monsters? Hah ye' have to be pulling me hoof on that one. There is no such thing as a flying monster made out of noodles." Sham had a completely relaxed look on her face; however her friend Goldie didn't and was looking around fearfully.

Dipsy's eyes widened when Sham said that, she really should have told the mare to never question the existence of a spaghetti monster that could fly. Also spaghetti monsters are more common than one pony would expect. Looking around she spotted the exact monster that Sham said didn't exist hovering towards them at insane speeds and its noodle tentacles were waving wildly in the air. Apparently anti-flight magic has no effect on that which doesn't use wings.

"OH BUCK ME, NOT AGAIN! CELESTIA DAMN YOU WORLD!" Dipsy reached for the staff with her left hoof and as she wrapped her hoof around it the gem started to glow and she leapt in defense of the unaware Goldie who had yet to see the monster barreling down on her with its noodle appendages reaching out to entangle the poor pony and possibly strangle the life out of her.

Poor Dipsy Duh was on the wrong end of another noodle incident, which involved plenty of expletives.

()

It was later in the morning at Hippolytus. Twilight after finishing her tale of Novascoltia coming under attack and her subsequent quick retreat, the three other DERP members opted to continue later in the morning when they weren't so tired and were better at thinking straight. Derpy went straight to bed with a disturbed look on her face. Zecora felt pang of hurt rolling off of Trixie and tried to console her as best she could, the zebra even tucked the moping and sleepy Trixie in while giving her a soft nuzzle that she was safe and warm. Zecora waited for Twilight to go to sleep before she herself would be able to come to rest.

Now that they were well rested and full thanks to some of Marahute's cooking, they were just about ready to start discussing their next course of action and the two objects left behind by Dolly.

"So to recap, while we dealt with the wargs here in Hippolytus, two other attacks were going on one possibly at Snoneigh Heights and the other definitely happened at Novascoltia. Each place was hit with a varying amount of danger, Hippolytus got off light in comparison to the Taurus attack on Novascoltia and we aren't even sure what the Wyverns did in Snoneigh Heights if anything. We currently lack enough information to know what's going on anymore; Can humbly I suggest we set out for Novascoltia to lend aid where necessary. We might do so after we discuss what Dolly has left behind for us, any objections?" Derpy received a few stares, yes that was a rather accurate summation of what happened into the night. Instead of saying anything against her they nodded.

"Great then I guess we'll open the box." Twilight was almost immediately halted by Trixie and Derpy raising a hoof and stating a simple quiet no against.

"Okay, why don't either of you want to start with opening the box." Twilight was curious as the other unicorn mare hadn't really spoken much since actually doing something heroic last night and Derpy had a calculating look in her eyes even if one was currently pointing off to the side.

"Well I the intrigued and curious Trixie would like to know the contents of the bag Dolly left to us first. What exactly is in there?" It was a perfectly fine question by the once upon a time show mare and they both turned to Derpy for her reasoning.

"Oh, it's my turn again? I think Dolly might have left some instructions behind for us in the bag before we open the box. It's in the mail pony manual to always check a bag hoofed to you by a dispatcher to see if there's any mail that needs to be delivered, Dolly might have a letter for someone and it might be important." Derpy's reasoning didn't seem to be as well thought out.

Twilight looking into the bag among the other stuff that was already known to be in the bag, there was a letter addressed to DERP and from Dolly. She blinked blankly and looked to Derpy who nodded as the letter read: 'open immediately upon discovery'.

Zecora got up and wandered behind the three gathering mares and looked over their shoulders as Derpy read the letter Twilight floated out and opened in front of them.

"Dear DERP members it has come to my attention that I might not be present with you soon, so I'm writing this letter ahead of time. If anything I know Derpy probably suggested something to do with not having delivered a letter by hoofing a bag to Twilight out of the blue. Remind me to buy her a blueberry muffin later. In any case in this bag is some supportive party gear that I got from Pinkie as I might have mentioned to Twilight." Derpy stopped reading and Twilight started down the list of what was left in the bag mentally subtracting a bit because she used some of the ballistic balloons earlier.

"C4, do not pull from bag unless you are absolutely sure you want something dead in a flash. Aim open end of tube at target, then activate. One of these can also be helpful if you need to make a hole in a wall of solid stone, but its primary function is to kill so don't make any mistakes in its use." Three pale ponies and a zebra without black stripes for a moment didn't like the sound of that. Twilight was squeamish to think of killing anything, much less even Nightmare Moon. Trixie started to read the final passage of the letter.

"Twilight, just work your 'MAGIC' it's all you'll need. Trixie, I brought you into this because you can think on your hooves, just remember that you can't put on an act without giving it some thought. Derpy, I need you to recite the team forty's mail pony motto to yourself, sorry we couldn't talk history with each other if you are receiving this letter with the others. Zecora, I may seem cold and aloof but I think we both know that's not what you felt coming off of me and why you became suspicious of my nature. If Zecora doesn't feel like explaining anything, please flip this letter around and read the back." They all turned to Zecora and she just sat there pondering on what she thought of Dolly before she spoke.

"If my suspicions so do hold, then the last of Dolly we haven't seen or so I'm told." Zecora didn't say anything further and Twilight spun the letter in mid-air to show a small amount of writing on the back that they hadn't noticed with opening the letter from before.

"If you have yet to open the box, do so only if you feel you can handle the responsibility I've placed within. It doesn't matter which one you get, just keep it near you at all times and make sure to read the message I left in the box. 'UNDERSTANDING' is key and let it be known that Celestia isn't the only one that can orchestrate things to such a fine degree." Twilight looking at the capitalization on the word 'UNDERSTANDING' and wondered what it meant. Asking Derpy about it didn't get much except a shrug from the blonde mare. That was when they turned to the box, average brown flip open lid affair and not very big.

Opening underneath the lid of the box was sheet of paper also written by Dolly but it looked to be old, as in the last time the box was open, underneath the sheet of paper was a red cloth with swirling white and black circle symbols.

"To whoever opens this box, if stolen return immediately to where you've taken it from. There is no treasure in here, only responsibility. In the event that this is stolen and I'm still alive to know about it, consider yourself out of luck and try to make use of the two day head start you are likely to get. YOU WILL NEED THEM." Twilight blinked a bit, Dolly probably had a tight watch on this box at all times and she couldn't even begin to believe how fast the mare stated she would track down some pony. The question of why it mattered so much to Dolly a lot is probably answerable by the contents.

"If however you were given the box by me, you most likely have earned my permission to take what's inside. They may not seem like much at first, but if you know of the elements of Harmony or are with an active element of Harmony then the contents will make much more sense to you. If you are an element of harmony I beseech you seek the trinity to wield the contents. From the element of Courage, may all holders of my element preserve the future to and beyond death till the next holder rises." Well that was strange and a bit morbid considering what Dolly had told Twilight about the element of Courage, but something snapped in Derpy's eyes.

"WAIT… Dolly is an element? There's more then the six elements of Harmony?" Derpy seemed confused, but then again she was a pony that loved following the exploits of the elements of Harmony. She was a fan of the elements and aspired to be a good pony like them, she even liked Rarity though she wasn't much for high society styled ponies and Pinkie was always a blast when it comes to parties at the mailing office. She gave idle thought to the always popular Rainbow Dash who had that anxiety attack in Cloudsdale during the young flier's competition but didn't sit on it too long.

"Yes, surprisingly Dolly told me a bit about the elements. More than I would have ever been expected to have learned on my own. She says there are more combinations out there that have different effects when the holders of certain said elements are brought together, it's the first time in a thousand years that the elements of Harmony have all been active at the same time." Twilight can actually see a bit of surprise in Derpy's eyes, if she had known she would have started stalking her boss too. Maybe that's why Dolly didn't say anything about her stalking the six ponies as long as it didn't interfere with her job.

"So she's the element of Courage? That's kind of neat and I wouldn't have expected any less of my dispatcher." Derpy asked with a bit of excitement, she worked for an element even if it wasn't one of the Harmony elements. Zecora and Trixie were practically background noise at this moment not knowing what to think of the conversation.

"Yes, she's the current element of Courage Derpy. Now let's see what's under the cloth." Twilight had an idea of what would be under the cloth and when she pulled it away with her magic, she wasn't disappointed. Underneath it was a block of foam with three cylindrical holes filled with stone spheres. A rather familiar kind of stone spheres no less, like the elements of harmony were before Twilight jump started them with her friends. Trixie chose this moment to blow up at the contents whereas Zecora slowly moved a hoof to a stone and plucked it from the box and a small smile formed on her face when she felt a foreign sense of kinship from the bland looking sphere. The Zebra could hear the rhythmic playing of drums.

"That's it, all of this for some stupid rocks? What are we supposed to do with round rocks? Throw them at the Minotaur you told us about?" Trixie was not attracting much attention to herself.

Derpy; however, certainly took notice of Zecora's actions to grab a stone too and she felt like every goal in life could be achieved if she persisted at them, as nothing was impossible if you put your mind to it. As long as she kept hope and always moved forward she'd never be stalled by anything, but she also knew not to go too fast to leave any pony behind.

"Trixie that's what the elements of Harmony looked like before they changed form and became necklaces, mine is a little different as it's a tiara. Then again, Dolly kind of told me what these elements are, but not what they are of." Twilight saw a pensive look cross the blue equines face.

"So these stones are what the elements of Harmony are supposed to look like normally? How do you cause them to change or take a different form? I've heard about them before, I just didn't really buy into the whole saving the world business until recently." Trixie was examining her stone from every angle as she floated it in front of her face. Twilight took a keen interest in each of their reactions.

Derpy was curious and excited at possibly becoming an element, she had always dreamt of something like this and it was kind of a pipe dream at best before she held the possibility of her own element in hoof. Now if only she could truly live up to the responsibility of having an element. Trixie didn't seem entirely convinced of the stones purpose or what exactly it was supposed to do, she distantly studied it and rolled it in a magical field projected by her horn. Zecora seemed perfectly happy to just sit there staring at the stone between her hooves in curiosity.

"I'm not sure how you're supposed to do it, I was only guessing of what to do when the elements of Harmony chose each of the six of us at the time. The elements of Harmony might have activated when they found some ponies worthy of wielding them or they might have activated by the situation, all I know is how to use them when I'm together with my friends. I've never actually considered using the elements on their own or combining them in unusual ways for different effects or that there was more than six." Twilight watched as they poked and prodded at the spheres before they put them away.

Zecora put her stone into a pouch among her medicines and herbs. Derpy stuffed hers into a mail bag while messily getting crumbs everywhere from a muffin Marahute dropped off in passing with a smile. Marahute found Derpy just plain adorable given how her wings always sprang up when eating one of the Hippogriffs muffins. Trixie just stuffed the stone into the tip of her hat, it was light enough to not bother her favorite piece of headgear and it was heavy enough to keep the tip of the hat bent downwards slightly so that it'd stay in the hat as long as it was on her head.

"I know that the six elements of Harmony are Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Magic, Kindness and Loyalty. So what elements could we possibly have or be getting sometime this year? I mean, the stones we have are supposed to be a powerful artifacts or something that are supposed to help us, but what's the point in having them if we can't immediately use them at all? Don't we need some kind of practice first to be able to understand how they work?" Trixie had finally garnered some smarminess back into her tone almost trying to convert back to her old self.

"Trixie, being an element holder is a responsibility. You can't abuse whatever the element gives you or improves upon once it finally decides to connect with you. Besides, I think it will only activate when it's ready, when it thinks you're ready or if you've proven you can be responsible with the power that comes with it. I've only had to use my Tiara twice, I've never considered any other applications it could have and without it I'm already powerful enough on my own through hard work. If I were to misuse it, the repercussions could be dire enough to the point I could cripple myself as a unicorn and never be able to use magic again." Twilight decided to let that sink in not only for Trixie, but also for herself and to allow her own little doubts to seep out into the open. It's any wonder why Celestia told her she and her friends could make better use of the elements then she could. After a few moments Twilight decided to continue.

"To answer your question Dolly told me that you three have the possibility of being the elements of Perseverance, Empathy and Wisdom. To remind you, I'm not sure as to what those three elements will do when combined together or what that combination of elements would be called. In fact I'm unsure on a lot of things, but I think it'll all work out if we stick to what we know." Twilight at least hoped that's the way things would go when they got started on using these untested elements. Like her and her friends were the elements of Harmony, she wondered what kind of power these three elements would hold and what kind of friendship could be forged between these three completely different beings.

"Are we all going to Novascoltia now or do I have to fly myself there and then meet you at the base of Mangora Mountain to start climbing!" Derpy enthusiasm certainly earned a few reactions; she was a cheerleader of the Harmony elements for a while and what they represented. Now she wanted to represent something as equally special as the friendship they had. Zecora could feel the infectious mood coming off of Derpy like nothing else, but she figured it was the muffins Derpy just finished eating.

There moods would quickly change once they reached Novascoltia later that day. When new things were brought to light, more things would be put on the line to stop the magical intrusion plaguing the surrounding lands.

()

With a splash of what smelled like warm tomato, parmesan and basil paste, Dipsy exploded her way out of the dead pasta monster eating a bit of it as she did. She then used her staff to widen the opening she had just made in its carcass. Dripping fluids not her own she stalked up to Sham and looked her dead in the eyes and then held up a hoof pointed to the sky that wavered in anger before she brushed pass the knuckleheaded earth mare who made her life more miserable by Star Beards Law. Never speak of that which you don't want to see or happen, doubly so if pasta based monsters are mentioned. Only one reason why it was called Star Beards Law, he was the one who accidentally gave birth to an entire race of pony menacing pasta monsters. Sham didn't look to terribly upset but she was cowed and ashamed all the same having watched the spectacle of noodles going where they didn't belong. The reason for Shams shame is that she stood there and did nothing while all that was happening and so did Goldie who hid her eyes behind her hooves.

"Is it safe to be eating that?" Goldie said shivering not from the cold but from the way Dipsy slowly stalked up to her putting her staff back in her left hand saddle bag dripping with the dead monsters life blood of pasta sauce.

"Perfectly fine, animated spaghetti creatures are entirely vegetarian for a pony to eat except for the meatball ones, they actually have blood in them from creatures they've killed and are much nastier to deal with. Though I like the Fettucini Alfredo Sauce versions and might actively hunt for one later. Now I've got some really good questions for you." Dipsy flat half lidded stare caused Goldenrod to cower away from Dipsy slightly digging her body into the snow and the side of the mountain path leading towards Mangora Mountain and away from Snoneigh Heights.

"Wha… what do you want?" Goldie's thick bountiful brown hair fell in front of her body as if it were a shield and she was afraid of what the pony was going to say next.

"Why didn't you two help me? Do you know how to get tomato sauce out of a mane? And I've been wondering why you aren't more aggressive… for a Medusan." Dipsy's second question almost caused Ms. Brunecutte to squeal with delight as she wanted to play with Dipsy's mane and maybe talk the mare into growing it out some. That train of thought was quickly derailed and burning into a quick pile of cinders like a Stretchy Streamer lit on fire. The cause was the sudden horrified realization of Dipsy knowing about her secret. Her eyes sudden went reptilian as she backed away in fright, but Dipsy didn't bat an eye at such a reaction.

"Medusan? What the kilt is that and what's wrong with your eyes Goldie, they look…? Ach, why are you being such a wee whiny foal and shying away from me like that for, are ye' hurt lassy?" Sham trudged up behind Dipsy through the snow and was about to pass her when she was halted by a grey hoof held aloft in front of her. Dipsy really thought Sham knew or else she wouldn't have confronted the scared mare about it, but the mare didn't seem to be volatile. Goldenrod was only scared and it affirmed Dipsy's assessment quite well, the earth pony only wanted to fit in.

"You haven't told your friend? Well you might as well tell her now, the hot muffin is out of the bag and I've been dealing with mystical crap almost nonstop for a week with barely any sleep. You don't think I just got this magic staff from those possessed ninja ponies by waving my hooves in the air and saying that I'm great and powerful give me everything I desire. But I gave you a benefit of a doubt, even suggested you can help me clean my mane out and I could care less about what kind of mysticism is in your blood as long as you're not evil. Because I'm sick and tired of all the stuff that been going against me and it's about time I got some decent news for once that something mystical or possibly poisonous isn't aiming at my throat!" Dipsy was upset by the lack of sleep and her patience was shortened by a smidge. Though she kept her distance well enough when she yelled that last part as she was very well aware of what could happen if she spooked the quivering mare in front of her too much. The reaction is what was she expected from the brunette haired mare, the mare curled up into herself crying and her hair weakly lashed out at Dipsy not even reaching her nose before the mare curled up tighter and wrapped her mane and tail around herself whimpering. Dipsy swore there would be days she'd turn into Dolly, such as being cold but not entirely heartless. By nature Dipsy was a complainer and she usually only complained after the fact, this however was a special occasion where Ms. Duh would lose her cool by having taken on too much stress.

"If I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't have put away my staff before asking for help with getting the sauce out of my mane, also for your information Sham a Medusan is a pony with a very odd genetic background that begets a few special abilities. I'm wondering if she has any of the following, stone encasement, snake hair transformation both poisonous and non poisonous, poison fangs, poisonous body lethal to the point that even touching a nearly invisible single shed hair could kill you, the ability to charm live beings into doing things for you and finally the ability to transform into a monster of various types including but not limited to chimeras, wolves but thankfully nothing like a werepony in viciousness or size, miniature types of dragon or commonly known as a whelpling and a type two lamia." Dipsy seemed bored as she rattled off everything she knew of Medusans.

"Ey' that would have been useful to know so I could invite Goldie to a bar brawl sometime. But I don't be seeing why she's being so scared of ye' if ye' mean her no amounts of harm." Sham didn't care if her friend was a whatever Dipsy had just called her, she may be an annoying mane loving mare but she's still about as much companionship as Sham could get outside the roughhousing colts or barmaids that loved a good scrap as much as she did in such a snow covered community. She tried to move over to comfort Goldenrod but the mare cried out and lashed out at Sham causing Dipsy to pull her back a bit by wrapping a hoof around her tail and pulling the earth pony physically backwards.

"She's not just scared of me, she's scared of you too you know. She's only scared of me because she thinks I'm a Medusan hunter, which I'm not unless the situation warrants I end up fighting a Medusan as a mail delivery pony. This situation however does not; THANKFULLY ENOUGH, require violence if every pony would just calm down. She's scared of you because of what you'd think of her once you found out what she was, I don't see it all too much of a problem if you don't care but I'm glad I don't have to fight you to protect her seeing as you don't seem to be showing any signs of actively wanting to hurt her. Just give her some time to collect herself before approaching Sham or at least we can wait until she wants to talk to us." Dipsy might have just gotten an appalled look from Sham that she'd ever hurt her busybody wimp of a friend, but it needed to be said.

"I don't have most of those abilities, I got the charm one but I don't use it I swear and… and… and the only other ability I have is controlling all the hair on my body and I can enhance the speed of growth slightly. I think I might have stone encasement but I'm not sure. How did you know and when did you find out?" Goldie didn't come out of her curled up position in the snow, one day she was just Shams cute if weird friend and then along comes a pony who sounded so much like one of those Medusan hunters her father warned her about.

"Easily a minute into meeting you, also my boss the 'average pegasus' Dolly 'freaking' Verance mail dispatcher pony once upon a time best rookie delivery pony in Canterlot and my best friend. There are only some hair care products that can be found and made out this far and she stocks some pretty expensive magical stuff in case she has any company over at her house, hardly uses the stuff herself though. She really needs colt or possibly a close mare friend; I swear sometimes she can be a boring pony with a simple household if I didn't know how interesting her life gets when she really starts doing stuff." Dipsy's tirade didn't really explain how she knew what Ms. Brunecutte was but the distraction of her voice and her motioning to Sham to go stand by Goldie certainly might help the situation. The mare in question uncurled slightly.

"How does knowing another pony help you figure out what I was…? EEP." Goldie had reacted to Sham having placed a hoof gently on her withers and then gave a nice soft rub causing Goldie to almost curl back up on the ground in fright. She relaxed as her friend kept a comforting hoof on her just looking at her transformed eye curiously and shrugged blankly not caring about it, slowly the gold coated mares eyes reverted back to their chocolate colored nature filled slightly with tears.

"Long story there, quite frankly my boss has had a horrible history of monsters killing everyone she knows and love, her parents at a young age, her adoptive sister and her flight team doing a good will delivery to griffin territory that ran afoul of… wait for it… wyverns. So when she became a mail dispatcher after moving to a place called Ponyville and away from a problematic entanglement and a suicide attempt, thankfully no one was jailed for that and no charges were pressed. I was her best friend at the time and I am currently the longest lasting one too, I moved with her when she went to Ponyville. She started pushing training on every mail pony in the mailing service and not just her own team of me at the time. Later we'd be joined by a crazy mare I'd swear is impervious to harm, a cooking mare with many talent and parents that have heightened combat practices of the celestial guards and a silly muffin loving mare with an enigmatic past that needed a job. Frankly with the exception of Dolly we all look like sisters and act like it too, we even did blood test to prove we weren't related. Sorry if I'm not immediately getting to the point I'm just trying to work off my stress at the moment." Dipsy saw an enraptured Goldenrod with an intrigued Sham who for once didn't have much to say.

"No go on, I think you have both our attentions and we can wait for you to get around to it." Goldie was kind of saddened by the history of another mare, but still quite curious to where this was all leading.

"Anyway, Dolly started travelling around pushing said training and tended to leave me in charge of the mailing office in Ponyville when she did. She made mail delivery a safer place by instituting broad spectrum of skills to handle numerous situations in the mail delivery business, made her quite popular too and she earned her place in the mail delivery manual she practically wrote. Thus mail ponies nowadays freelance on the side when the delivery business isn't so hot. One of the things she made her own mailing team do is read up on multiple possible hostile creatures we could meet while traveling out across the world, plus survival training in case our wings ever got clipped. Mind you not all mail delivery ponies are pegasi. Her own team certainly is though and I'm one of those ponies. This however is not the only reason why I was able to identify one Goldenrod Bruncutte as a Medusan." As she said this Dipsy started walking along the path and they started following.

"Quite frankly that was only a piece of the puzzle; I'm well read on magical creatures fictional or possibly real. Even if Chupacabra doesn't exist I'll probably need to know how to decapitate one on a moment's notice when I find out they in fact do, I've seen too many strange things in these past few days to deny meeting one as a possibility. Second piece, there's a village known as Hippolytus with mixed cultures being the majority; if you haven't been there you should probably drop by the inn for a visit and tell a hippogriff there that Ms. Duh sent you. They are rather friendly folk and some of the nicer Medusan's actually pass through there on occasion and Dolly is a known acquaintance to a few of them, I'm the only other mail pony living outside of Hippolytus that knows it's there to begin with. While they aren't very secretive they don't like to be too well known. Last piece is you personally, by your appearance, by your job and the fact that you preyed on your friends weakness to brush her mane." Dipsy looked back at her followers and saw a question on the tip of Shams tongue. Hopefully it was not about spaghetti monsters or the fact that she was still covered in the chunky tomato blood of a creature that by all rights sounds impossible as an existing creature.

"Saints and Celestia, I was the reason that you knew she was a… Meducken? But how could you have known about that, ye being all passed out at the time." Sham blinked confusedly.

"MEDUSAN!" Both Goldenrod and Dipsy said at the same time, Goldie was the one who yelled it. She was happy her friend could care less about her secret. Goldie just hoped she didn't get dragged to a bar and into a fight because of said secret; she wasn't all too particular about being ousted as unnatural and would obviously refuse to encase a pony in stone. Encasing something in stone is less dangerous then turning it to stone like a cockatrice, at least when whatever is encased in stone it can feasibly still break out. Goldie was still unsure if she had that power or not because there was an occasion she thought she had used it by accident.

"I can remember everything I hear in my sleep and I can sleep at the drop of a hat on command, my special talent and my cutie mark is of sleeping aids dropped into a glass of water after all. 'Dead Weight Dipsy' won't stop being hung over my head in my lifetime because of that. It was also her job as a salon mare, that strip of brown down her back on her nice golden coat and the need to make her friends mane not look like a flying mouse's nest just added to it. Some Medusan's have a slight problem with falling in love with certain things or aspects about others, Ms. Brunecutte yours is particularly glaring. Finally, it's about time you got around to it." Dipsy sighed blankly as Goldenrod happily trotted up next to her and started to brush the tomato sauce out of her hair, using her own mane to hold the brush a she trotted along with a smile. Other than that small debacle Dipsy hopes on the kindness of Luna and Celestia they didn't run into orb weavers, she hated giant magical creatures especially the really aggressive ones with multiple limbs. Soon Sham would start up idle chatter with her friend about what it felt like to be an earth pony with weird abilities.

Dipsy learned long ago that Applejack wasn't a Medusan even though she kept asking Dolly about the farm mare after reading up on the subject, apparently with training you could actually do the stuff she does like twirling a lasso with your tail and more. It was quite the acquired skill to learn and Dipsy found it useful in a pinch to have an extra limb to work with. Really helped her out when she was facing those assassins.

()

"Rainbow Dash I'm really, really, super dee duper sorry for invading your dream like I did, it wasn't right of me." Pinkie just received a shrug from the halfway asleep mare on low hanging cloud. The cloud was low enough to be near a second story window.

"No… awwhhhhh… problem pinks. " Rainbow rolled over and lazy dragged a chunk of cloud over her body. Pinkie decided to make it up to Rainbow Dash, so she went to find some rope so Dash didn't drift away from Ponyville, it was kind of windy today. After she slung the rope around Dashes body and anchored it to the ground with an actual anchor. It was hard to find one so far inland, but she knew a guy.

"Say is Rainbow Dash into getting tangled in ropes too, I mean we know she's possibly a bisexual deviant." Lyra left that passing comment as she walked down the street as Pinkie sat there blinking confusedly.

"No I heard that Rainbow Dash actually enjoyed pain, she apparently crashes into things a lot and at the speeds she goes… Look, can we please stop talking about Rainbow Dash for one day; hasn't she had enough with everyone questioning her libido? She made such a good speech." Bon Bon had spoken up barely out of earshot but Pinkies face gained more pinkness in the cheeks.

As long as Pinkie knew her rainbow colored friend wasn't like that or wasn't interested in a closer relationship she was okay with the rumors flying, though those things weren't beyond another pony Pinkie knew. Given what she saw at Applejacks yesterday, that mare had plenty of uses for rope and tended to be stubborn to the point of liking pain. She really should check up on Rarity and possibly Spike, tomorrow would be the day she'd drag Fluttershy out of her home or away from the animals for one single day.

Later that day Pinkie got involved in helping Spike with the fine art of 'arts and crafts', she was always good with her hooves. Plus several other ponies joined in on the occasion, along with an entire day cares worth of fillies in Rarity's boutique because Pinkie wanted to help Dixie out.

One of the ponies there was Ditsy and surprisingly enough she did not destroy the mayor's home, she actually looked ponderous for once instead of just insane and wondered why Luna was taking so long to get back from wherever she went. Ditzy was even considering calling upon the 'secret order of crazy ponies that every pony knows about' to see if they had any information of anything dangerous popping up. Something like Discord who might have possibly kidnapped Princess Luna to feed her to the Broccoloids, the bipedal broccoli aliens from space. The draconequiss chimera really messed the order up and turned them normal for a day, the prospect was horrifying as much as it was to watch. Ditzy swore the normalcy nearly cause them to try and become valued members of society with desk jobs. DESK JOBS, THE HORROR! Without them the whole of Equestria's balance would have faltered into a boring dreary world!

()

Novascoltia had seen better days. The attack had very few casualties' but they were still deaths that hadn't been avoidable in the attack, there were plenty of injured and none more so then the local Wonderbolts. Families had to be notified of lost ones and the town had to be rebuilt, there were plenty of ponies were still too injured to do anything that needed to be dug out from collapsed buildings. To top it all off Princess Celestia wasn't there directing the towns reconstruction efforts. Princess Luna was though and due to having spent a day or two in the presence of Ditzy and the Canterlot building project, she had an easier idea of how to rebuild things. Currently she was running ponies to and fro rescuing those still trapped under buildings while she worked out plans to rebuild homes quickly for others who had lost theirs in the fires, shadowy harpy's and a rampaging Taurus. She was also wearing a construction helmet she thought looked cute on her, while she poured over several blueprints to rebuilding the town.

Elsewhere DERP was arriving on the scene to the pitiful nature of the area, Zecora immediately set out to help the injured. Trixie moved over to distract the little ponies with an impromptu show feeling the need to brighten their day, launching a flare of fireworks and working on a story about how the evil monster that hurt the town would be beaten by some great and powerful ponies. Twilight was about to move to follow them in finding a way to assist but she stopped and followed after Derpy who rushed over to two ponies who were talking. Lying at their hooves was a blunt weapon covered in dry blood with a conical tip.

"Dizzy! What… what happened here? Where's Dolly, I know that was the sword she got back in the other village." Dizzy turned away from Spitfire, but she didn't exactly brighten at the aspect of seeing Derpy D. Hooves world's most lovable muffin eating scamp rushing up to her.

"I don't know and that's what I was telling Spitfire, the Minotaur grabbed her after she pierced his… well I assume it was male, she pierced its chest with the sword. Obviously not deeply enough, Celestia was on the cusp of arriving when he finally retreated by what I assume is teleportation magic and he took Dolly with him, so she's MIA until proven otherwise. Celestia took care of the last of the shadow creatures and when I went to talk to her about the situation she took off for Mangora Mountain, stating that her sister could handle the mess and she trusts in her judgment." Dizzy had been standing in place for the past three minutes; the only reason why this was important is because she could talk straight without the impending trauma of two left legs on the right side of her body.

Twilight froze and stood away from the conversation, Celestia didn't stay behind to help? The threat must have been big enough to warrant her immediate worry or… she could be going after Dolly. Then everything should be fine right? Princess Celestia was a powerful Alicorn and could handle big problems right? Then again the sun princess couldn't save her own sister and she didn't stop Discord from stealing the elements. Then again if they've always had the ability to summon the elements… and there was the fact that Celestia saved her using her own notes to revive the spark of magic in her. Celestia was a grand planner, but a fighter? There was some cause for worry.

"Well we're heading that way too; if Celestia gets into trouble our team will back her up!" Derpy's declaration wasn't met with any kind of immediate enthusiasm.

"Well good luck with that, I'm stuck here on princess guarding duty with the rest of my squad. Wish I could go though, I bet Dolly needs all the help she can get right about now." Spitfire comment caused Twilight to stop moving towards them with wonder how the mare with the flame colored mane knew of Ponyville's mail dispatcher. She wondered if Dolly had ties with the Wonderbolts and that would explain her odd comment about Rainbow Dash getting into them.

"Um… excuse me, but how do you know Dolly and are you sure Celestia flew towards Mangora Mountain? There's anti-flight magic stopping any winged pony from flying around it." Twilight saw recognition in Spitfires face when she looked towards her.

"Hey, aren't you Rainbow's friend? Yeah, Celestia stopped a distance away from the mountain and took on a glow before continuing on, she probably generated a field to counteract the magic and it would explain a lot. I know Dolly because she once saved me and my folks from some stone gargoyles, it took me a while to find her after that. It was in Canterlot and then I soon became a Wonderbolt. Funny how life leads you from being a circus fire breather to a pyrotechnic specialist for a flight team that the princess is proud of." Spitfire frowned when she saw another Pegasus with dark hair fly up to them with a pie in his hooves. "Also I became a Wonderbolt after I met this knucklehead; he probably wouldn't have survived without me. If your friend wanted to know about my past, that's it in a nutshell."

"MPH MPHHLLE MPHE NOM MPH PHME." Soarin was trying to talk around a mouthful of pumpkin pie; Spitfire slapped him on the back forcing him to swallow and finally speak in a clear dialect. "I said what about when you earned you cutie mark for figuring out your talent with fire related stunts?"

"Ignoring that as it's an embarrassing tale, who else is in your party and who's going to willingly climb up that monstrosity by hoof. Orb Weavers aren't the only things up there that are dangerous you know." Spitfire turned her head while she was waiting for an answer to see fireworks shooting off down the street from a unicorn engaging a small magic act to lift some little spirits.

"Well there's me, Ms Sparkle, Ms Magnifico over there and I forgot Zecora's last name what was it again? She's good with medicine and stuff like my friend Ditzy. We're here to help out first, is there anything the two of us can do. Oh, right… and we also stopped to stock up on supplies!" Derpy put a hoof around Twilight and smiled cheerily hugging the unicorn to her body.

"Derpy is that you?" Turning to the pony that spoke Twilight immediately bowed to Luna, while Derpy waltzed up and hugged her without a second thought. "Yep, it's you. You don't care about me being a princess. What are you doing out here my friend?"

"Apparently these two and two others are following after your sister. They are also going to run a rescue operation for a mail dispatcher that happens to have been last seen in the clutches of a Taurus. But first they want to know if there's anything they can do to help, their friends are already helping out." Spitfire saluted to Luna who nodded.

"My yes, I could use some help from a faithful little mail pony and my sisters student. Come; let me show you where I can use your help. I hope my sister will be alright, the encroaching foul magic upon this land has even me worried." Luna started to trot off leaving behind a wilting Twilight who had to be pushed by Derpy to get moving.

Even Luna was worried about this problem; Twilight was beginning to think she should have just brought all her friends along instead of a ragtag group formed by some crazy mare that might be dead already.

No Twilight couldn't think like that, Dolly was alive and well… she had to be, the sword was just dropped by her. Speaking of which Dizzy was following them and holding the sword wrapped in a cloth, despite tripping over her hooves every five seconds she kept up with them and wasn't very happy about the circumstances of her home being in ruins.

()

Malice just stood there staring at the corpse making sure the pony was dead, before he stalked out of the room. He'd clean up later when he eventually stopped enjoying the smell of death, walking down the steps of the tall tower he made his way three floor down towards the dungeons.

He easily killed that one pony without remorse; he however could not kill the other one for several reasons. One Malice did not want to die by the sun exploding or crashing into his castle, Two keeping her sealed to the areas of the dungeon and keeping her there was much easier than having to fight the powerful pony and three he barely had any magic as it was in his weakened state to keep the immortal pony pinned down in the dungeon. There was a fourth reason such as ripping her wings off to use for his own needs by magically grafting them to his own back, but it wasn't immediately as important as building up his strength again. Those blasted winged ponies repelled his spreading influence and were setting upon him with haste; he needed to be ready for them when they arrived, but first they had to survive getting up to the castle for him to truly start worrying.

()

It was sometime early afternoon when Luna called a gathering of four specific equines. It was also around this time that Derpy found out Marahute slipped some carefully wrapped muffins into her mail bag when she wasn't looking; it was the very reason her face was bright red when they all arrived at the meeting spot. It was the exit out another part of Novascoltia to the northeast leading up a trail that forked between Snoneigh Heights and Mangora Mountain. The Mangora Mountain fork from Novascoltia didn't lead very far up the mountain before it stopped abruptly.

"I've just come to thank you for the assistance, but it is about time to follow my sister up the mountain. I fear she may have gotten in over her own head. Do you have everything you need?" Luna turned to Twilight who had a quill and was putting it to a large piece of parchment.

"Let's see, Food? Check. Large Winter Tent enough for four? Check. Two sets of warm clothing for each of us? Check. A… um… now there's a problem, there's not a more specific map of the mountain or the surrounding mountains. I do have Snoneigh Heights on my map though." Twilight kind of figured there wouldn't be a more detailed map, no pony seemed crazy enough to actually perform cartography while on the topography of the mountain itself.

"Is that the only thing troubling you? I'm sure you can trace the magic back to its source easily enough by feeling alone or you could take this sword and cast a tracking spell when you get far enough up there." Luna received a disturbed look from Twilight as she hoofed at the ground stirring up a bit of dust while Luna levitated the cloth wrapped sword in front of the purple pony and away from Dizzy's hooves. Twilight decided to stash the slightly rubbed clean Neighyashi in her right side saddle bag.

"Well yes, but you wouldn't happen to have a guide to rock climbing on you?" Twilight felt a tap on her butt and she turned to Derpy. Twilight tended to resort to books whenever she can, but when she couldn't she usually asked someone else about a subject and Derpy answered.

"I've been rock climbing, especially when my wings weren't working. Though I wish Ditzy would have asked me before she broke them. Never, EVER, go camping with my friend Ditzy Doo unless you know what you're getting into and want to learn survival training at its hardest. I'll only state for the record that wrestling a Hydra is tame for her and will leave it at that. Now tie one of those streamers to me, I'm taking point as I'm already good at the subject of falling off cliffs without the ability to save myself. The pony behind me has to be either Zecora or Trixie; Twilight should get the tail end of the climbing chain we need to make, my reasoning is if any of us fail to anchor ourselves she is the last line to safety and she has really strong magic for that." Derpy received several nods and they started to pull on their winter clothing. Scarves, woolen hats and sweaters. Zecora was a little put off by her sweater hoofed to her being bright pink and having the words 'Cupcakes: sweet and tasty' on it, but if it kept her warm who was she to complain?

Soon they discussed a plan for how to chain themselves to each other with the streamers. Using three Pinkie brand Stretchy Streamers Derpy took the lead position, the other end of her streamer was tied to Trixie, the end of hers was tied to Zecora and the end of Zecora's was of course tied around Twilight who seemed to be just shy of panicking about how nuts they were.

Three strangers from three different trots of life, with still as of yet entirely explained pasts and Twilight was with them on a quest that she felt would go far better if her five friends were there with her. They weren't a very cohesive group to begin with, so why did Dolly think this would work to begin with again?

"I vote that we immediately change the group's name from DERP to the Neigh Team!" Derpy was immediately shot down by three negative votes against her and she gave of a saddened huff as she stomped her front two hooves on the ground. Her random outburst should have at least caused more chuckles then just Luna's. She started making her way for the trail that would lead them up the mountain.

"Be careful and good luck my friends, I will be sure to keep things running smoothly in Celestia's absence. " Turning back to the ponies watching the scene, Luna slapped her construction helmet back on her head and she started gently relaying orders to the surrounding ponies that moved to follow them. As the distant words were lost on the winds Derpy looked up the mountain to see foreboding clouds building up as they traveled along the path.

"So, how long do you think it will take before we figure out how to use these stone things?" Trixie stepped into snow as the dirt path was starting to turn into mountainous terrain; she stopped to poke a hoof at the tip of her hat causing it to sway a bit.

"I'm not sure my dear, but the need for patience is clear. Don't rush into this situation because of Dolly, or else a disaster may occur at your folly. I'm sure she is fine, so please don't get out of line. But remember her words of Wisdom well, to act quickly without thought is not a plan you can sell." Zecora looked behind her and saw Twilight dragging her hooves; every pony seemed troubled as of late. Derpy seemed to be the only one with an unusual enthusiasm about her that was almost infectious if it didn't seem slightly panicked. Trixie was just shy of being a mental case a while ago and looked to Dolly as someone she could cling to for support. Twilight was probably worried about their collective ability to do anything; Zecora would only do what she could and nothing less.

The air was biting in its chill as they started on up the snowy hill. Zecora shuddered as she never really experience winter to much as the Ever Free Forest generally stayed warm year round.

"Can we move any faster than this Derpy?" Trixie seemingly less moody after a spell of quiet turned back to the blonde pony, whose wings were clamped tightly to her side.

"I would like to but we can't risk causing an avalanche and have to walk up this slope again. The snow here could cause us to backslide. Also if I didn't know any better I swear a blizzard is starting to form. We'll need to find some shelter up here in the next hour or two." Derpy kept moving up the slope, they had to keep pressing forward even at a set slow pace.

()

"Dipsy can we stop, I'm so tired…" Goldenrod fell flat on her face in the snow and Sham stopped and dug her body underneath her friends and lifted her up onto her back.

"Complain, complain, complain… if there is any pony around here that has anything to complain about it's me." Dipsy stopped and looked at the dark shadow sticking out of the mountain in the distance; she felt sense of dread in the pit of her stomach just by looking at it. More magical shenanigans she had to deal with, she was a pegasus not a unicorn.

"Ach, she be much lighter then ye' any day o' the year. Also if it's not too much trouble I could use a wee bit o' a pick me up myself an' another… what is it…?" Sham was halted by Dipsy who silently raised hoof as her ears twitched.

"I think we may be in big trouble… emphasis on huge…" Dipsy said slowly turning around to look behind them and at the trail to see several massive white beasts covered in thick coats of fur slowly stalking up the trail following their tracks, barely managing to navigate it because of their size and some were even crawling along the walls of the mountain. Tusked mouths with rows of jagged teeth big enough to swallow a whole gaggle of ponies and thick long claws that an Ursa Major would be envious of that could cleave most creatures in two.

Dipsy turned to stare blankly at Sham with a slight frown. Even with the magic staff and the veritable odds and ends she had from the ridiculous amounts of questing she had managed in days time, Dipsy wouldn't be able to fight those things and the fact that they were twice the size of elephants really didn't help make it easier for her to keep a cool head or a straight face.

"Run."

End Chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Note: 'Might' look into editting later.

Chapter 9: Homeland.

A pair of eyes watched as its pawn dealt with one of the grey coated flier's, two more were making their way upon its door step. It needed to spread its influence or else it wouldn't be able to get a good foothold into the lands of Equestria. Canterlot the home of the princess sisters was too well defended still, it also couldn't spread its influence wherever the one with half lidded eyes set her hooves. Its pawns attack on that town is distracting one of the sisters. The other wasn't beaten, but just biding her time and power in the bowels of the castle. She was still able to control the sun but most of her power was held in check for the time being.

There was one place it could still spread its influence to that wasn't well defended a small settlement of ponies. The since long trapped being decided to set its eyes on Ponyville. Its pawn could handle defense of the castle, even injured as it was and by the pony it defeated and killed. It decided to summon some soldiers from the abyss to handle the innocent undefended place. No… it wasn't entirely undefended, but it might as well be.

After a thought, the being decided to also launch an attack on Cloudsdale for the very reason that it was home to so many of those winged little horrors that might try to stop it.

()

Derpy could feel the chill running through her coat and it felt like the blizzard was almost upon them, turning back to the team they were all shivering as the temperature was beginning to drop. The slope was slowly beginning to end close to a sheer rock wall leading further up the mountain. They'd have to climb the cliff face to continue further.

"We need to find shelter, start looking for a cave! I'm going to focus on climbing, yell if you see something we can use to stop for the night." Derpy saw Trixie nod and turned to yell to Zecora, who in turn would pass it to Twilight to be on the lookout for shelter. Derpy stopped at the wall of solid jagged rocks and titled her head back, it was a long way up and they had no clue where they were going exactly but Twilight said they were heading in the right direction.

Rearing up the mailing mare threw her hoof into the rock. She was creating a small hoof hold for herself, but it hurt to hit solid stone that hard not to mention creating a pathway for the others to climb. She pulled back and slammed the other hoof into a position higher than the previous one. This was going tire her out and fast, but they wouldn't survive the coming blizzard outdoors. So climbing was the only real way to go. Looking up the rock wall she saw the snow slowly start falling.

()

Sham stood next to Dipsy who promptly flopped onto the floor of the high altitude cave, the abominable snow beasts outside couldn't get into this small hole but their claws sure tried to rip them to shreds by scratching around the insides of the entrance. There was no way out other than through those beasts, so they were stuck here for a time. The pony had to wonder how Dipsy could fall asleep at the drop of a hat in this situation, much less be snoring peacefully. Her friend was also out like a light, the pony was like a batch honey buttered toast she was soft and chewy if a bit sweet and neigh anywhere near as tough as the crazy grey mare that they followed all the way up here. She idly bats her hoof at her loose braid causing it to swing as she stared at the entrance to the cave where a recent near death experience made her want to stay far away from it.

Dipsy had warned her before she fell asleep not to go outside until she was sure that it was safe and that she'd sleep until it was time for them to leave, her waking up was a sign that they could do so. She also said that Sham could sit watch, eat or get some sleep herself as it was going to take a while what with the blizzard blowing in for those creatures to leave them alone much less leave the cave entirely.

Ach, it'd be just like a Pegasus to know about the weather and it was so boring, Sham wanted to go on an adventure and apparently she dragged her stupid friend who couldn't leave well enough alone into this as well.

But for all her complaining Sham actually liked where she was, she just didn't like where her friend was. Surviving in harsh conditions, finding a way to the as of yet unknown cause of those dang wyverns and she could taste a battle coming a mile away. She wanted a piece of that action, the glory, the struggle and the victory. But most of all she didn't want her friend hurt, she idly sat next to the sleeping Goldenrod wrapped in a blanket and being adorable just laying there her hair fanned out beneath her and twitching every now and then. She'd have to protect the weak simpering idiot with the freaky powers and probably wouldn't see as much action as she thought she wanted, then again the horrible mental images of Goldie torn limb from limb made her exceedingly angry for even thinking that anything was going to hurt her while she was awake. Ditzy was almost like a key to life for her, she was bored out of her skull tossing cabers across a field every day and she still didn't understand why Goldie would follow her out here, but she wasn't happy the mare was practically walking towards danger when she should be resting by a nice fire at home.

When whatever was said and done, what would Sham do with her life? Where was she going with it? She wasn't much of a thinker; any job she'd get would have to be relatively simple if ridiculously hard to perform physically. Her mother said she should learn how to run her own lemonade bar, but that was a boring concept and her mother just wanted to drown herself in free lemonade like the rest of the Rocky Expectations clan. Maybe she could get a job fighting monsters like the ones hanging around outside the cave? Yeah, she could live with herself beating up beasties big or small, maybe even bounty hunter.

Yawning Sham slowly lay down on the floor. Taking up a position and wrapping a blanket around her body she fell asleep between a passed out Dipsy and gently breathing Goldenrod who slowly cuddled up to her.

()

It was a quiet evening in Ponyville the foals were finally leaving her care and Dixie couldn't help but think something was up with Ditsy. The mare was relatively quiet and didn't even cause one destructive moment for a laugh or bothered to get into a comedy combat act with Pinkie. In fact Pinkie was less hyperactive then she usually was and both of them were following her around on a stroll dragging their hooves.

Something wasn't right with either of them and Dixie has about had it with their moping, nothing else was wrong with the world as far as she could see. She turned around and opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off by Rainbow Dash coming down for a landing.

"Hey guys what's going on? Is something wrong Pinkie, also where in the hay would you find an anchor this far from the sea?" Rainbow wasn't mad at Pinkie tying her cloud down, but she wondered how Pinkie even managed to rope the cloud in the first place and decided to just leave it up to Pinkie being herself.

"I know a pony and since I know every single pony in Ponyville it'd be hard for anyone to tell who it is." Pinkie said in a slightly half jubilant tone.

"Rainbow I don't know what's with these two, but their moping is beginning to worry me. I mean everything was going just fine when I had the foals over at Rarity's boutique for arts and crafts. Upon leaving I noticed something wrong. Ditsy has yet to destroy the mayor's house by accident and Pinkie isn't bouncing around, she's actually walking!" Dixie pointing out the nearby house still standing and looked to have been standing since two days ago, Pinkie on the other hand was plodding along behind Dixie alongside Ditsy.

"So?" Rainbow quipped fluttering in front of Dixie.

"Doesn't that seem strange for the two competing mares from the Crazy Ponies Society? You know the society that's known for make things more fun around Equestria and has a single member in at least every organization in the world?" Dixie still couldn't believe she was a member or that she became a member by a random blind drawing of random names, some of which were already members thrown in. That society was that insane.

"Technically it's the Insane Ponies Society or IPS for short. Though we also call it that and the Society for Causing Insanity in Twilight Sparkle, the society seems to enjoy seeing Twilight go acorns so we added that name to the list of names our society goes by. We're up to thirty names thus far." Ditsy was rather forth coming about a secret society that Dixie wasn't so sure why she was a part of it, but she did like the free magazines she got at the mailing office. The magazines were quite weird and topical on the things Dixie liked and it was part of the oddly acquired membership, so who was she to argue.

"I've always wondered why Pinks targeted Twilight almost exclusively with her insane antics. Still, she's right that you two look down in the dumps and not at each other's throats about who's the most insane pony." Rainbow said it idly, but she was more curious then she looked about what had her close friend and relative acquaintance down in the dumps. Ditsy was Pinkie's nemesis aside from Surprise who was a proud Cloudsdale IPS member and had announced it loudly to the world on a loudspeaker.

Ditsy just shrugged not knowing what she felt, but it wasn't like her and while she was considering this silently she looked off to the side at something. Pinkie was notably saddened but she couldn't understand why she felt like a balloon without its helium, especially when she was in top form today having made a bunch of foals, colts and fillies smile.

"Hungry." Ditsy said simply as they were outside the café, Dixie sighed as it looked like she was buying dinner again. She was just glad it wasn't Dipsy; her wallet can't handle that pony's indomitable stomach or her binge eating.

Three extra large calzones with broccoli stuffing, four orders of hay fries and daisy deluxe special later…

"Here, I'll help split the bill; these two have to pay for their own desserts thought." Rainbow felt she had to be generous in this occasion as Ditsy seemed to expect Dixie to pay it all and dessert. She received a whine and a puppy dog look from the two mares, but they ordered dessert anyway when they were denied.

"Thank you so much Rainbow Dash, I feel like I end up feeding all my friends on my own at times. I don't see a problem with it, as long as I can keep Ditsy from surviving off Acorns and Stinkweeds again." Dixie did not want to relive camping with Ditsy or be reminded on the things she had to eat to survive when she did. Plus it took a few showers to get the smell out; at least pinecones weren't the worst things you could eat when out in the wilderness.

()

Derpy sat on a small snow covered ledge tired and breathing hard with two other ponies and a pony cousin; she bit off a chunk of pinecone and got a strange stare from Twilight. Both Zecora and Trixie were already eating their own pinecones which came from Trixie's food pack. The snowy winds were blowing and chilling them to the bones.

"How can you three stand to eat those things?" Twilight thought it was disgusting that Trixie actually seemed to be enjoying it.

"I don't know about you in this, but taste is acquired for the pinecones bliss. It's something I can survive off of in my home of Ever; especially when supplies are scarce it's actually quite clever." Zecora continued to nibble at her pinecone gently.

"I've been eating pinecones all my life and I Trixie turned out perfectly fine! Mommy…" It was hard to tell whether or not Trixie was crying when she turned away for a moment, but she was back a second later and continued to eat her pinecone in silence.

"Camping with Ditsy, it's better than plenty of the alternatives." Derpy didn't have to say anything more if what she said about Ditsy's effort to make ridiculous survival lessons out of camping were to be believed.

Twilight being the studious pony was offered a pinecone by Trixie to test her taste buds on one, she was warned to take it slowly and only take a tiny piece in her mouth at first.

()

"Dixie, have you ever wondered if we'd always be friends." Ditsy asked suddenly out of the blue, wide eyed staring off into space behind Dixie.

"Of course we will Ditsy, why wouldn't I be you're…" Dixie stopped mid sentence.

In a flash Ditsy had suddenly stood up out of her seat and thrust out both her hooves knocking both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash away from the table. They had been sitting facing each other and they gave indignant yelps when Ditsy suddenly pushed them down. Then with one swift leap Ditsy was behind Dixie and quickly wrapped her hooves gently around the other Pegasus in a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry…" It was then that a sudden impact had knocked Dixie forward and the table in front of them smashed into pieces by the sudden weight of two ponies and something else slamming into it. Ponies started running away from the scene in a panic. "Dixie…"

It took a few moments for Dixie to register anything that was happening around her; slowly her world view had crumbled from a nice evening dinner with friends to something more horrifying. Grey limp hooves were on both sides of her body and they seemed to still be trying to angle in around her, more then that the smell of blood entered the poor mares nostrils and she felt a stickiness run down her back, but she wasn't hurt. Looking to the side slightly she could see blood starting to pool on the ground along with a wide splatter pattern from...

Slowly Dixie pulled herself out from under Ditsy's grasp and turned around and stared in horror at what was sticking out of the mares back. A large dual bladed battle axe had almost perfectly lodged itself vertically along Ditsy's spine at the withers and she wasn't moving, but Ditsy couldn't be dead. She was the invulnerable mare that has houses dropped on her almost daily and on top of all the impossible injuries that she should have incurred upon herself that would kill a normal pony.

Slowly a dead look took over Dixie's eyes. She didn't cry, her head just slowly lifted and stared down the street a five foot bipedal mass of darkened metal slammed to the ground with loud thud. A bowl shaped helmet with two slots where circular purple eyes made out of pure energy could be seen flowing from the darkness; the armor was designed to fit that like a dragon that walks on their hind legs. The gauntlets were five fingered and ended in talons and its metal pants ended in bladed shoes made for an otherworldly creature that probably kicked puppies not just for fun of it, but to just outright kill it.

Moving forward Dixie slowly wrapped her hooves around the axe handle and she carefully pulled it from her friend's motionless body and her wings started flapping and she was soon airborne with an unwieldy axe in hooves. She immediately angled towards the monstrosity with a frown on her face and accelerated as fast as she could go with the heavy weapon held beneath her.

()

Pinkie just stared at the body. Her rival, her nemesis, her friend, her companion at times… no… Pinkie knew she had to be okay, her Pinkie sense didn't say her friend was dead yet. Then again her Pinkie Sense didn't warn her of the falling axe. It probably would have if Ditsy hadn't shoved her away from the table, but by then it would have been too late at the rate that thing was moving as it spun through the air. Ditsy moved them away from the table to protect them and if she got Dixie out of the way some other pony might have gotten hurt.

Rainbow slowly stood up and moved over to the body her wings drooping; she looked off to the side to see Dixie ripping the head off the metal monstrosity with a swing of the battle axe. Only seconds later did its body slowly move and then place its head back over the empty space of the void where its neck should have occupied, bloodlessly the metallic creature turned to Dixie and started to swing its claws at her as it attempted to get at what was once it's weapon.

"Please tell me this can help her, is she alright, is she even alive?" The voice had surprised both Pinkie and Rainbow; they both thought she hated Ditsy. The mayor had a medical kit in hoof and stopped next to them looking unsure what to do next; she looked equally pained and unhappy that Ditsy was actually injured or probably worse.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness… move back, please let me check her pulse if that's okay with all of you." Fluttershy flew in and from out of nowhere, but they were all relieved that there was at least one pony with better medical knowledge then stick a band aid on it and hope for the best.

Idly Rainbow watched as Dixie dragged the axe horizontally through the metallic creature bisecting it, minutes later it pulled itself together from that too as it crawled to its legs and with a foggy darkness it fused back together. Dixie looked to be handling herself quite well until four more creatures of the same likeness dropped in unannounced; each one was wielding a different weapon. One had a sword and shield, another a spear and shield, one was on the rooftops with a crossbow loaded with a sickly looking bolt of green energy it readied to fire and the last one was holding a stick in its hands that ended in a sharp curved blade.

Dixie didn't back down and struck out at the spear wielder almost immediately, but it was hopeless. No matter the damage she dealt it would fix itself with time, though she was making a good show of swinging the battle axe around with a fluid spiraling grace that belied her obvious rage.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow said slowly turning her head away from the fight to the buttery mare that had her right hoof tightly wrapped around Ditsy's left and her head near Ditsy's mouth.

"She's alive, though her spines cracked, she's bleeding badly and she's not breathing. We're going to need some wood to splint her neck and a unicorn to stitch her wound up; we also need someone who can do CPR after we get the splint on. We really need to do this... soon?" Fluttershy looked to the only pony still there.

Rainbow didn't know what she could do at the moment and she didn't know where the other two ponies went. Seconds later Pinkie was back with two small aptly sized planks of wood in her mouth she dropped off in a panic. The mayor came back dragging Rarity along explaining the situation to her.

"Oh, this simply quite dreadful darling of course I will lend my aid as well as I can. Though I've never had to stitch together… ugh… flesh before, do you think you can you lead me through the process?" Rarity was surprised Fluttershy wasn't as squeamish as she was feeling at the moment. She got dragged there by the mayor along with Spike who stayed quiet as he stared forlornly at the body.

Fluttershy carefully put pressure on the wound trying to hold the split skin together and started to carefully instruct Rarity on where she needed to stitch. Turning away from it Rainbow watched in fascination as Dixie twirled the battle axe above her head deflected two green bolts of energy with the flat of the blade and then swung it around into an upward swing that ripped the one that obviously used to own the battle axe clean in half, she turned and brought the axe slamming down on the one holding the scythe that was about to hit her splitting it from shoulder to hip. Turning back to the medical emergency Rainbow witnessed Fluttershy bandaging the wound and Pinkie was assisting Rarity in holding the mare up to her.

Rainbow continued to stare dispassionately as they stuck two pieces of wood to her and Rarity started to wrap the medical tape around the body. That's where they stopped and all turned to Fluttershy.

"Um she's still not breathing… anyone here certified to perform CPR?" Fluttershy's question almost floored all of them with the absurdity of the situation.

"Excuse me for asking this, but are you telling you don't have the training to perform a life saving action!" Rarity's voice almost shrieked, causing Fluttershy to shy away behind her mane as she nodded lightly, she had been meaning to do that and cursed her weakness for not doing so at the soonest convenience.

"I care for all the citizens of Ponyville… even the less reputable ones like her; I guess I shouldn't have put off that CPR retraining while making sure things run smoothly around here." The mayor stated sadly.

"Had my certification revoked for being overly excessive and causing more injury, aheh?" Pinkie drooped as it was made clear she wasn't certified or able to perform without making it worse.

Slowly but surely Rainbow could see where this was all going. She frowned, but if it came down to it she wouldn't dare back out.

"Well I can't do it, I don't know how either." Rarity was stating in reference to Fluttershy who cowered slightly and started crying.

"Hey, lay off Rarity she did her best. Now step aside, it's time for The Dash to shine. Weather workers are trained for this sort of thing in case a pony takes lightning bolt to the chest. Just don't make fun of me later for this, roll her on to her back please." Rainbow moved over to Ditsy and inhaled gently as Rarity and Pinkie carefully rolled Ditsy onto her back. Rainbow was going to really hate the rumor mills after this one. Slowly she put her lips to Ditsy's and exhaled slowly in the hopes that she could fill Ditsy's lungs, she then carefully place her hooves on Ditsy's chest and pressured it five times

"Why would we ever make fun of you for saving a pony Dashie?" Pinkie watched as Rainbow concentrated inhaling another lungful of air.

"Careful now, we don't want to cause anymore damage to her spine Rainbow." Fluttershy looked worried as Rainbow started compressing Ditsy's chest again after once again breathing into her.

"Don't worry Fluttershy I know what I'm doing here, just need…. to… get…. her… breathing." Rainbows third round and Ditsy finally gasped slightly, but didn't wake up though her chest was beginning to rise and fall a bit. Slowly she her breathing was coming to a halt again.

"What the hay? She shouldn't stop breathing once she's gotten started again." There was a bit of panic in Rainbow's voice as it cracked slightly.

"Maybe it's the damage to her spine. I think… It might have made her incapable of breathing on her own; the axe must have disrupted her nervous system when it hit her." The peaceful Fluttershy looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Pinkie, go get nurse Redheart and tell her it's a nurse to nurse emergency." The mayor didn't need to ask twice as Pinkie ran off at a blazing speed to find said nurse.

Rainbow cursed to herself and continued trying to save Ditsy; the others should have been busy helping Dixie fight those things off or at least find a way to permanently put them down.

Rarity looked at Dixie and saw she was fending off all five of the metal statue things, but it didn't look like she could win at the rate she was going. How was one supposed to defeat that which pulled itself together from being ripped apart and by a battle axe no less?

()

"Now what's going on around here? Whoa, now that doesn't look good." Applejack wandered towards the direction the panicking ponies were fleeing from, only a length of rope and a saddlebag full of apples to aid her against whatever the hay she was walking into. She saw a battle axe rip through a food stand and it was being held by a metal monstrosity; it was being followed by a something wielding a sword and shield and destroying the marketplace.

"Yeah, no kidding Applejack, those things trashed my stand and all my beautiful carrots with it." Carrot Top was the only other Carrot in town other than Mr. Cake, her hair used to be an interesting shade of green till she started dying it orange or maybe it used to be orange and she always dyed it green? The yellow coated earth pony with a bushel of carrots marking her flank was hunkered down behind the ruins of the stand as the two bipedal creatures attacked just about everything in sight.

"Now that ain't right neighborly or friendly at all, I say we give them a piece of our produce." Applejack pulled an apple from her saddlebag and tossed it up in the air. She quickly turned her backside towards the falling apple and smacked with one hind leg sending it flying at one of the creatures helmets knocking it cleaning off with a splattering of apple fragments. There was nothing underneath the helmet and the creature with one gauntlet slowly picked up its own head and placed it back where it belong without showing any sign of discomfort.

"Yeah, how do you like my apples! Now pick on some pony willing to put up more of a fight." Applejack ran out into the street and waited for the living pile of metal to take her offer.

"I'll go get some of my frozen carrots and find Screwball; she always has a novelty sized rubber band on hoof." Carrot took off and away from the creature that started charging in Applejacks direction.

Applejack leapt backwards as the axe slammed into the ground sending a shower of stones from the pavement everywhere. The farm pony figured she forgot something as she held her Stetson to her head, she only saw the one wielding the axe, then where was the one wielding the… not bothering to finish that though Applejack rolled forward between the axe wielders legs as a sword whiffed through the space she once occupied.

"You guys are right smart varmints huh?" Applejack backpedalled from the horizontal swing of the axe as the thing spun around to face her. "None to pleasant to meet in the streets either I reckon."

Applejack waited for the thing to try and vertically slam its axe into her, dodging appropriately and swiftly depending on how the thing swung the axe. Leaping aside she quickly turned her back end towards the thing and gave a sharp buck straight to the center of its mass; she was keeping an eye out for the sword thing to come at her as she did this.

The resulting clang and resounding flying mass of metal flopped onto the ground on its back. Slowly the thing stood up and it's sharply dented armor slowly if noisily popped back into shape, leaving Applejack bewildered as to how she was supposed to stop it.

"Don't attack its body! Destroy its weapon, that's its weakness!" Applejack blinked and looked off to the side to see a male Pegasus who looked to have seen better days with several colors of brown dotting his coat and a bird shaped cutie mark. He was staying well out of the action and looked to have been recently escaped from an infirmary, given he was still wrapped in bandages.

Not questioning how he knew about these creatures weakness, she tried to figure out how to destroy the weapons they kept trying to hit her with. The sword one was stealthy, always trying to get at her backside and nearly took a chunk out of it when she wasn't looking a second ago.

"How the hay is you supposing I do that exactly? They aren't about to hand them over to me handle first." Applejack kept backing away from the two and ducked a nasty looking lunging thrust from the one with the sword.

"Don't know, don't care and whatever you do just don't get hit by those Void Knights. The survival rate for being moderately injured by them is quite low, a few nicks are nothing but if they get a deep enough hit on you the magical poison is quite lethal." When the winged pony said the words 'magical' and 'poison' Applejack became a bit more frantic in staying away from the weapons.

"What do you mean by magical poison?" Of course she would have reason to panic with the knowledge that being struck by the weapons would cause a dire effect on being able to live.

"You seriously don't want to know, but if you get hit a by a green glowing crossbow bolt, remove it immediately. The longer their weapons are causing injury, the more effective the poison and the only cure would be to destroy the weapon that caused it before the poison kills you, that's all you need to know other than the effects stack with each individual weapon they carry." The Pegasus wasn't entirely forthcoming, but Applejack understood what he was getting at as she dove behind a stand to get a sword shoved in front of her face piercing through the flimsy wood almost cutting her nose.

Applejack figure the best chance she had at getting the weapons from either of the things was to lasso it from them; the axe was more viable option as the swords blade might cut through her rope. If there was one thing the farm pony knew how to do and many a pony could agree, it was that Applejack definitely knew how to go about using a rope. She could wield a lasso with her tail, her front hooves and her mouth, possibly all three at once if she had too. Right now she needed to get some distance to prepare one, she needed a distraction.

The axe wielding metal creature stalked forward as the sword wielding one once again slinked into the shadows, seconds later it was knocked out of the shadows by a Pink blur that promptly trampled over the axe carrying monstrosity that barely managed to take a step forward.

"APPLEJACK, APPLEJACK, JACKIE, JACQUELINE, JILLYJACK …. Do you know where nurse Redheart is? We have an emergency situation. Oh and there are a lot of these mean metal things running around on two legs and they're attacking every pony. It's not very nice, who would attack us ponies? We're really cute and that should be lethal enough to stop anything from wanting hurt us!" Pinkie Pies sudden appearance didn't surprise Applejack in the slightest and she was already working on her rope to form a lasso the second Pinkie rammed her way onto the scene. She didn't want to waste Pinkies prompt interruption as she deftly guided her hooves around her rope.

"Can't rightly tell you where she's at now, last I saw she was over in the residential area Pinkie." Applejack watched as Pinkie zoomed off leaving behind a puff of cloud shaped like her body slowly dissolving away into the air. Shaking her head Applejack turned to the axe carrying creature and started twirling her lasso in hoof specifically her right, the sword creature had its head knocked off by the sudden impact with a hyper pony and was busy trying to get it back so there was time to try and steal the axe to destroy it in some fashion.

With a swift flick of her hoof she sent the loop out and around the axe snapping it tight over the shaft and she pulled with both hooves, apparently the thing noticed what she was trying to do it pulled back with almost enough force to reel Applejack in. She stood her ground and pulled harder tightening her grip on the rope with both her hooves wrapped around it, she gave a strong tug almost getting it to lose its grip on the axe.

The sword wielder ran up and pulled back the sword in its left hand to swing it down on the rope, only it was stopped by a small orange blur that caused a loud plink noise. It staggered back slightly as there was a definitive round hole in its shield which it lowered to reveal it's chest plate had a glistening carrot piercing three fourths of the way into it.

"Good shot, but that won't stop it! Aim for the sword!" The bandaged pegasus who was taking cover behind an overturned table yelled to the one who fired the carrot.

Carrot Top nodded from her position behind a destroyed produce booth's poles which were affixed with a large rubber band around them that had seconds prior given a frozen carrot enough velocity to pierce metal. Next to Carrot was a light pink earth pony mare with thick purple and white hair, she had the oddest purple eyes with spiraling pupils. She was also wearing a propeller beanie cap on her head and her flank had a screw next to a ball on it. She pulled another carrot from a cooler to hoof it to Carrot who put the frozen vegetable into the rubber band and pulled back for a second shot.

The carrot sailed through the air missing the sword, it was quite a small target but Carrot did manage to rip one its legs clean off toppling it a bit. Applejack had time to garner enough strength to yank the axe clean out of the grip of her aggressor while the Void Sword was getting punctured by one frozen projectile after another.

Applejack figured she was going to start respecting carrots more after this was all over with, she maneuvered the rope around in a circle and the rope tightened around the base of the axe's head. With a swift jerk and flick of her hoof she sent the axe slamming into the ground head first as hard as she could. The damage to the axe was minimal, but the Void Knights reaction to bashing the weapon caused it to screech out in pain and stop charging for Applejack and stumble back as it's armor started to crack slightly. Applejack gave a nifty little smile before she reared up raising both her hooves above the axe.

"YEEHAW, well now how do you like that?" With that yell Applejack stomped down on the shaft of the axe breaking it in two causing the Void Axe to scream out in agony as it slowly faded away to dust. Applejack smiled and turned to the Void Sword still trying to approach and was busier just trying to reassemble itself from the beta-carotene assault until they stopped coming. Looking back at the stand Carrot and the pony known as Screwball were occupying, Applejack noticed they had run out of ammo.

"Sorry Applejack, I'm out of carrots." Well that's something Carrot never thought she'd say in her lifetime.

"No problem, I got this thing." Applejack turned to face the sword wielding creature only to see her brother Biggs Macintosh was already in the process of snapping its sword in half like a twig. Red stallion, orange hair and green apple sliced in half on his flank, not to mention he was bulky looking despite barely matching his own smaller sister in strength.

"E'nope, saw you take care of the other one and figured I couldn't let my sister endanger herself further." Big Mac was a stallion of few words and a gentle giant, his sister gave him a playful swat before she looked at all the damage the marketplace had been dealt.

"Well thanks mighty kindly, but I can take care of myself you know. Now we have to warn every pony how to beat them and it's all thanks to… say I didn't get your name." Applejack turned to the bandaged equine with wings and received a light smile.

"Spaniel C. Arro, long range package and letter carrier, built for stamina and distance flying in the duty of Equestria's mailing services currently at your service specifically. I'll tell you how I know about the Void Knights later, but for now we have to get moving there's at least thirty more where those two came from.

()

Dixie's breathing was shallow and sweat was pouring off her body, she was standing the axe on its head and had her hooves tightly wrapped around the shaft. Silently she watched as the five Void Knights were in the process of fixing themselves again from very tiny shreds of metal, darkness and possibly fabric as their weapons lay harmlessly on the ground. Slowly more Void Knights started to gather, five more on the roof with those magic missile launcher things, two more swords and one with an oni-club that didn't look to be survivable after a single hit as it was huge for the generic looking evil knights. They all looked the same except for the weapons they wielded in a menacing way.

Dixie started to go back into her memory and tried to remember the good times she had with the mailing ponies of team forty. Her eyes were still blank and lifeless, but some color started to return to them as she remembered something that became a treasured memory for her.

()

"Hate to say this to you Ms. Day, but you are a little overqualified to be working here." The steely grey eyes sitting across from Dixie stared her deep in the eyes as the mouth below them spoke to her in a dark tone.

"I'm sure you could find something for me to do around here then… as long as it's not too stressful." Dixie saw a slight amount of amusement spring into the grey eyes as they suddenly became less cold. Dixie was trying to remember if she had ever met this pony before; maybe she had and forgot about it because of her personality.

"Heh, this is the first time I got close to laughing in years and goodness knows Pinkie tries. Well go to the break room and meet your fellow coworkers and we'll see about finding something for you to do around here later. Though I don't know why you chose a job like this if you wanted life to be less stressful, down the hall and to the left. Welcome to the forty's Dixie Day." With that the mare shuffled some papers and idly watched as the pony left her office. Another lime blonde and bluish grey albino Pegasus the dispatcher thought as she smirked to herself, one more and she'd have a squad of what look like sisters working under her.

Trotting down the hallway of the mailing office Dixie couldn't believe she was given a job so easily and then she opened the door to two mares and balked at their particular appearance. They looked exactly like her… except one looked to be sleeping on the floor and choking on a store bought cookie and the other had a crazy wide smile as she was happily playing with a pile of blocks meant for foals. The one playing with the blocks stopping building a small castle and looked at her cheerfully and flew over to her to give her a big hug.

"SISTER, YOU'RE BACK FROM THE YAKON! How was it being one of the Mounties, eh! Please tell me you met a nice Yak out there, did he dump you? That was so mean of him and its aboot time you come to tell us to rough him up for you." Dixie had no clue what was going on and she felt the life draining from her body as she was being choked to death by the mare's impressive strength.

"Ditsy stop killing her for a moment and let her breath, I won't be able to sleep if someone dies in this room on my watch. I'm Dipsy Duh, not surprised that Dolly somehow found another one. Welcome to the team and good luck, you'll need it." With that the now named and introduced Dipsy laid her head back down and was instantly snoring a second later. Dixie felt relieved by the suddenly flow of oxygen as Ditsy released her.

What did Dipsy mean by? Oh well… Dixie could understand that they all looked the same. Then again she hasn't seen this many flying albino pegasi like her in one room together in all of her life. Being an albino wasn't a disorder, it was just a small genetic quirk. Though the fact they had matching hair and tail styles was a little creepy.

"Um… hi I'm… is she asleep? Anyway, I'm Dixie Day." Dixie watched as Ditsy's head turned towards a nearby clock before she turned to the sleeping pony on the floor.

"Ten minutes!" As soon as the words were out of the weird mares mouth Dipsy shot to her legs and was out the door before Dixie could say anything. Looking at the clock and heavily tack marked mailing route on a map, she remembered that Dipsy had a two saddle bags full of mail. How was Dipsy expected to cover that much ground in ten minutes? Much less deliver everything in her bags accurately and to the right place, what kind of mail delivery service was this?

"I like heavy lifting, long walks on the beach and killing eggplant wizards. I'm Ditsy Doo and you're my best friend ever, can I destroy your home and defile your food if it happens to be alive in any way, shape or form? I like killer tomatoes the most!" Ditsy was back to hugging Dixie again in a crushingly painful manner, but was actually allowing her to breathe this time.

Dixie had barely said ten words and she had just obviously met a very insane mare. The situation could only go downhill from there. If only she had known she met really great friends that would protect her with their lives.

It would be weeks later that Dixie really started warming up to the strange demeanors of Dipsy and Ditsy. Some amount of time after that Derpy came along looking really thin and hungry waltzing into the same room meeting all of them for the first time. Before Dixie knew it she was baking and feeding Derpy muffins nonstop, she helped Dipsy with her binge eating bills and was trying to stay friends with Ditsy no matter how odd she got. They weren't very tight nit, but they were a family.

()

Slowly she opened her eyes; the Void Knights were wary to approach her and were gathering in number. They had right to be afraid, being basically a kung-pony and having the ability to use anything not nailed down as an effective weapon were quite scary traits. Looking behind her she could see Rainbow Dash inhaling and blowing into Ditsy's mouth… she was… alive? Tears sprung up in Dixie's eyes and the color fully returned from the dull depths they had been, but obviously something was wrong as Redheart was there and looking forlorn over the situation.

Soon Applejack ran up to them and her voice gave Dixie some much needed news as she was tired of swinging around a heavy weapon to do it too much more. Dixie heard the subtle clicks of crossbows being loaded down with green vibrant energy bolts by the Void Crossbow Knights on the surrounding rooftops, she wouldn't allow them to hurt any pony else that she was within range to save. Dixie didn't like fighting, but it would be over her dead body now if any pony else suffered as bad an injury as Ditsy took for her.

"You have to destroy the weapons to get rid of them. They also have this magical poison stuff that does something if you get hurt by them and I've been told it's mighty lethal, but it disappears when they do." Applejack was telling her friends, but she didn't notice Dixie sitting out in the middle of the street away from the café with a determined look on her face as she lifted the axes head away from the ground and high over her head. She also didn't notice the other Void Knights already charging Dixie.

"Rrrraggghhh." Dixie brought the axes head down to the ground creating a large dust cloud as six bolts of energy flashed at her along with three swords, a scythe and an oni-club. The one Axe Knight without his weapon started to slowly dissolve away. The other ponies present turned to the resulting cloud of smoke as it disappeared and the weapons showed that they had hit nothing but each other.

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt an intake of air from Ditsy as she was about to breath into her and ended up kissing the mare that finally started to live on her own strength, but was still very much out cold. Her face flushed with embarrassment for a few moments.

"Ngghhhn….sea pony stole my pants…" Ditsy grunted in her sleep as soon as Rainbow's lips pulled away from her. Ditsy's chest was rising and falling on its own now, Redheart finally decided to move her to a safer location with Fluttershy's help as moving her beforehand wasn't going to help her condition.

Turning away from the rather embarrassing moment in her life Rainbow turned and charged straight for the Void Knights. She wasn't alone as Applejack and Pinkie joined in at exactly the same time. Rarity stayed back with the mayor as non combatants, they took off to warn other ponies how to fight these things in other parts of Ponyville. Spike carefully stayed out of trouble and off to the side.

On the surrounding buildings the Void Crossbows turned to the three charging ponies to fire only for one farthest behind the others suddenly had its head kicked clean off by Dixie's hind hoof and its weapon wrenched from its grasp and tossed over the edge of the roof. It didn't take long for the other five to turn and open on Dixie flying at them, corkscrewing through several shots she slammed into the next one and twist its arm as it pulled the trigger causing it to misfire. The shot flew over the small scale battle and struck another crossbow destroying it and the knight holding it. With a swift pull and buck to the chest Dixie tore the arm off the knight and smashed the crossbow it still held into the roof before ducking to the other side as three bolts past by her.

"Hehe, can't touch me…. woo that was a close one. Wow, you're not very good at tag are you mister scary guy." Pinkie was busy antagonizing the Oni-club wielder, leaping flips over his horizontal swipes and tiny hops to the side when tried to vertically smash it into Pinkie and sometimes she ducked when she could do so. Upon one a horizontal swing Pinkie disappeared entirely, leaving Void Club confused as it looked for her.

"Hey, up here!" Looking up the Void Club saw Pinkie sitting on the tip top of the club and waving at it. It started wildly swing the club around and Pinkie held on for dear life as it charged forward trying to find something to knock her off with. It ended up bashing through the three Void Swords trying to reach Rainbow with their weapons as she fluttered just out of their reach, she avoided flying too high as the crossbow wielding knights were busy pinning Dixie down behind a chimney with non stop firing. Pinkie finally let go of the club on a horizontal swing sending her flying into the air towards Applejack who managed to get the Void Spears weapon and snapped it half with a single motion as soon as it was caught in her lasso.

"WHHHHEEEE…. Oof." Pinkie slammed into the Void Scythe butt first before it could gut Applejack and she laughed merrily as she was on top of it covering its eyes and caused it to stagger around swinging its weapon blindly trying to at least kill something.

Meanwhile the Void Club heard a hissing sound and twisted it's club slightly to see a line of small red cylinders going all the way down the club and a little fuse that was about to branch off into each little cylinder along the club.

()

"Yep, it's another Pinkie Pie Product, these are what I call Sticky Fire CRACKERS, the flaw with these is that they aren't quite normal firecrackers as in firecracker as one big word with an added 'S' meaning multiple of them. These beauties however are two separate words and they do quite the literal meaning of both words, plus they can stick to things. It's why they're labeled Sticky. They only burn hot enough to minimally injure a pony and that's the 'fire' part. The CRACKER part comes in afterwards and while it can't really harm a pony too much it does destroy solid objects quite easily like that nasty big club thing with spikes." Pinkie smiled toothily with an evil look in her eyes.

"Would you believe I invented these for people who had problems breaking piñata's with a stick? Now you can get a show and the candy that comes from a piñata, because if the fire doesn't open it the small compact 'cracking' explosives will. I can use these to do all sorts of things, like safecracking. They work pretty well but are still labeled too dangerous for normal pony use; I might still be a teensy weensy bit into the testing stages though." Pinkie said sweetly, though quite frankly an inanimate object destroying explosive device is quite applicable in this situation. It's also kind of Mary Sue that she'd stop to pick them up for this fight but then again she's freaking Pinkie Pie, so of course she would have something party related for the situation.

()

A rapid series of explosions in the street caused a slight pause in the action as the club cracked with each small explosion and when the last one went off it was slightly bigger than all the previous explosions making the club instantly fall to pieces and the Void Knight with it evaporating into thin air.

Rainbow Dash had taken opportunity of Pinkie's antics and had three swords in her hooves; unfortunately she didn't know how she was supposed to break them. She was quite frankly surprised Pinkie's firecrackers did anything to that ugly looking club with spikes sticking out of it haphazardly given it was also made entirely of metal. The spears, axes and crossbows were all easy to deal with as you didn't have to break the metal parts to effectively destroy enough of the weapon to make the thing that was wielding it disappear.

She flew over to Applejack looking for help, Applejack was glad to oblige and got Rainbow to stab one sword into the ground and hold it in place with one hoof while Applejack broke through the flat of the blade with a swift one legged buck. The Void Swords left hurried to stop them from shattering any more of the sword, but it was for naught.

In the background Pinkie could still be seen pulling the scythe from the hands of Void Knight that wielded it and she leapt straight up and swung the blade down into the armor while landing on it, before gently dropping off of the Void Knight and letting her weight snap the blade as it wrenched to the side.

On the rooftops Dixie was busy gathering shingles and looked around the chimney to nearly get a volt to the face as it whizzed by her cheek and sent her hair fluttering slightly. With a grim look of determination she shot around the corner and proceeded to throw three roofing shingles into the air. Being accurate enough she deflected the first few bolts shot at her as she flew across the street. She took the remaining shingles and did what Ditsy would have done in such a situation. She threw them out all at once and hoped they hit something.

They had caused quite a distraction for the three Void Crossbows, as she managed to cover the distance she turned to the one on the left side of the roof of the fast food restraint they were on and at the same time Rainbow was already aiming at the one on the right side while the last one's crossbow was lassoed and it was pulled from the roof entirely.

Rainbow spun in mid air carrying her momentum and performed a flying buck directly to the crossbow of the Void Knight on her side of the roof. Dixie flew in and the Void Knight fired what would be its last shot point blank at the pony. Her right hoof went up and caught the glowing green arrow centimeters from her right eye and then threw a wild left hoof straight through the crossbow, its chest and out its back. As the thing dissolved Dixie grunted in pain as the metal had cut up her leg before the Void Knight entirely disappeared.

"Well that's all of them is this area. Um, Dixie are you okay… come on let's get you to the hospital." Rainbow said proudly before Dixie's mood stopped her. Dixie was looking down at her bloody hoof.

"HELP, HELP CLOUDSDALE IS IN DANGER, ANY PONY WE NEED HELP!" The female Pegasus that looked exactly like Pinkie except she had a white coat and blonde mane, it was none other than Pinkie's second rival Surprise and she looked frantic.

"What are you talking about Surprise? What's attacking Cloudsdale, is it dragons? Is it griffons?" Pinkie watched as Surprise's frown grew exponentially.

"No, it's worse than that it's under attack by Roc's!" Surprise got an awkward star from the three ponies and a dragon, Dixie however was the only one that truly understood what kind of Roc's was being talked about here.

"Surprise, now is not the time for games, Ponyville is under attack. Besides what are these rocks doing, rolling harmlessly down a hill, Cloudsdale is in the sky Dodo." Apparently whenever one talks about them they are commonly mistaken for the similar sounding word, Rainbow didn't know that a Roc was a giant bird that is capable of airlifting an entire elephant and creating tornadoes with a single flap of its wings. They were also carnivorous and tended to dwell in deserts causing sandstorms.

"But it's not a game; Cloudsdale is really under attack by Roc's!" Surprise received a soft right hoof from Dixie on her shoulder.

"Surprise, give us time to recuperate and we'll be there as soon as we can." Dixie's reassurance caused Surprise to smile slightly.

"That's good enough for me because the local Wonderbolts are barely doing anything to them!" Surprise tended to speak in exclamations and end her sentences in a loud voice.

"Now hold on there missy, you are not going anywhere with a messed up hoof like that and we've got to clear out the rest of these troublemakers from Ponyville before we can stop those stones from whatever it is they're doing." Applejack had lassoed Dixie and pulled her to the ground and was holding her there.

"They aren't rocks as in boulders; she's talking about Roc's as in giant pony eating birds!" Dixie really didn't mean to scream that in Applejack's face and sat there for a moment.

"How big we talking?" Applejack asked slowly as she wanted to comprehend the seriousness of Surprises sudden appearance in Ponyville, like they didn't have enough Pinkie Pie's in the world.

"Bigger then some of fire, aquatic and spiny dragons around here, now either give me some first aid or let me go." Dixie was soon dragged over to the left behind medical kit and Applejack looked to her.

"Do you know anything about how I should go about bandaging your leg?" Applejack got a smile from Dixie. Dipsy had family in Cloudsdale not to mention Derpy and Rainbow's friend Gilda was there.

()

Derpy's face was getting numb and the blizzard was starting to get worse, but she had finally found a ledge with a small alcove. Sighing with relief she pulled herself up and over the lip of the cliff and started helping the others up by pulling on the stretchy rope tying them together.

"Trixie is exhausted, she wonders how the muffin lover survived her friends camping trip." Using her magic because her body was spent Trixie helped drag Zecora up the cliff and a shivering Twilight followed as she pulled herself up onto the ledge.

"Up the mountain I am led, I really wish I could go to bed. Tired I am of such physical exertion and we must stop here or our conditions could worsen. Trixie make a fire fast, chilled to the bone we're fading fast." Zecora was being slightly dramatic but she wasn't far off from the truth of the situation.

"I'm glad we packed a small amount of wood, I'll set up the tent. Zecora get out the blankets, Derpy please get out some food; just don't bring out the pinecones." Twilight turned and looked how far they've come up the mountain and saw a void of swirling snowy air, she shuddered to think of a fall from this height. She started to untie the stretchy streamers from around all their bodies.

"Trixie believes Twilight has no sense of taste." Trixie was tired, but not enough to start working up an argument about how Twilight couldn't handle a pinecone like she could.

"Can we not fight here, especially while there is possible danger of doing such is clear?" Zecora was putting what small amount of bark they had into a small circle and motioned for Trixie to launch a fireworks spell into them.

With a colorful flash of energy a fire was lit and they soon were eating, when they went into the tent to sleep they decided to all hunker down under the same blanket.

"Good the night I say to you all, when we start moving again I hope we don't fall." Zecora felt awkward as she tended to prefer her personal space, but in these conditions she wasn't complaining as Derpy was a really warm pillow with her feathers.

"I the tired and cold Trixie just hope to wake up." Trixie snuggled down against Derpy's stomach.

"This is far more then I previously thought we'd be doing." Twilight said silently to herself as she was at Zecora's back, keeping her and Trixie separated for obvious reasons.

"Um… what do we do if we have to go to the bathroom? It never actually came up when I was rock climbing with Ditsy." The question from Derpy caused the three of them to sit up and stare at her.

End Chapter.


End file.
